


Because Of You

by aeternal



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alpha!Taeyong, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Drama, M/M, Omega!Yuta, Pack Politics, Politics, Prophecy, Rebirth, Reincarnation, Wolf Pack, idk what to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-10 23:36:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8943913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeternal/pseuds/aeternal
Summary: Yuta has always lived happily with the pack. And yes, life wasn't perfect, but it was close to being so.Until Lee Taeyong entered his life.





	1. F O U N D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First NCT fic! Mentions of HansolxYuta, but actually a TaeyongxYuta.
> 
> Enjoy :)

Yuta confidently streaked through the snow, as he had done a million times before. He didn't even need to think now, his reddish-brown paws moving on their own, to find the best path in the two foot high snow, and the even higher snow drifts. It was just the sort of skill one mastered, living in the Wilds. He actually enjoyed the arduous runs now, as it gave him some time to think, some time to simply run, and some time away from the pack. He loved them, but he also required his own time. Yuta then lowered his snout to the fresh snow. It was harder to track in the winter, the sharp, fresh, smell of snow oddly covering numerous scents. But Yuta took great pride in being one of the pack's best hunters, despite having such a light frame, and being an Omega. He was good at what he did, always had been, and even now, during the winter, he was able to sense a rabbit, not far away. It's scent was still faint, though, and so he moved cautiously, not wanting to scare off a valuable source of energy. His mouth watered as the scent grew stronger, it had been such a long time since any of them had fresh meat. Suddenly, Yuta saw a bit of dirty white fur behind a relatively low snow drift. The rabbit, having found a prize of frozen wild dandelion, was happily distracted. Perfect.

Yuta crept closer, making sure to crouch low to the ground. He raised his head a bit, and confirmed that the wind was flowing towards him, and not the rabbit. It was a lucky day for Yuta. He got as close as his instincts told him to, and then waited for a second. The rabbit, perhaps using its instincts suddenly raised it's head, wary, as rabbits often were. This was his last chance, he had to pounce now. Mustering what strength he could, Yuta leaped over the drift, feeling the power in his hind legs, and clamped down his jaws over the tiny little body. A moment later, the warmth was leaving the still body, and Yuta could smell the aromatic blood and flesh of the rabbit. He longed to eat it right then, but the pull to provide for the pack was much stronger, and so Yuta started his long run back to the campsite.

He smelled the others before he saw the yurts, of course, and he smelled the ever present smell of smoke from the fires. There was a faint bit of what smelled like a stew on the wind, as well. Perhaps the other hunters also had a lucky day, or Ten and the other cooks was having more luck, transforming the rations into something that tasted, or even smelled appetizing. Yuta doubted it, though. He pressed himself to go at a faster pace, ignoring the weight of his tired legs. The promise of warmth was all that motivated him now. That, and food. Soon enough, he saw the yurts up ahead, the circular buildings all in a cluster. Then, in no time, he was inside the campsite, trotting towards the yurt he shared with Ten. It was nice, sharing with another Omega, and a relatively capable cook. He knew other's weren't as lucky. He pushed himself under the heavy cloth flap covering the doorway, grateful that Ten had not shut the makeshift door. He went up on his hind legs, deposited the frozen rabbit on the kitchen table, and went to his own "room" (more like a corner with some curtains for a mediocre amount of privacy) to shift.

Yuta winced, as he felt his fur recede, as he felt the fangs disappear, and as his entire body changed into human form. He was used to it by now, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to not hurt, because it did. He just adapted to the pain, and it wasn't ever like the first time anymore, thank god. Stretching, he twisted this way and that way, his human body feeling even more tired than the wolf one, but he had to. Yuta had more things to do than just hunt, and he was dreadfully hungry. Sighing, he picked his way to his closet and picked out a simple, dyed black, tunic, with soft black cotton pants. He was lucky to have such warm clothes, and he threw on a fur, because already he was shivering. Looking back longingly at his bed, Yuta reluctantly exited the yurt, searching for Ten. He headed toward the central fires, because Ten would definitely be there, helping the other cooks prepare for tonight's communal dinner. It didn't take long, their shared yurt was at a convenient location within the camp (around the middle), and he soon saw Ten, who was frantically waving towards Yuta.

"You look happy today." Yuta slyly remarked.

"Well it looks like we'll have a nice dinner tonight, for once." Ten replied. Yuta scoffed, knowing very well that wasn't the reason, not the main one anyways.

"Speaking of which, I've caught a rabbit. It's back home, do you want me to bring it here?"

"Maybe later." Ten distractedly said, as he was trying to poke cubes of deer through the sharpened wooden stick. And, he was failing. The cubes of meat were slipping everywhere, the fat was falling into the snow, and Ten's twig had just snapped. Yuta sighed, remembering that Ten wasn't necessarily a fully fledged cook, despite having moments of talent in that area. Yuta sat down by Ten on the dry soil, the fires burned strong night and day, melting the snow and drying the ground. He picked up a stick himself, and started slipping the meat on. They worked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Yuta decided to launch a conversation.

"So Johnny and the others are back from the long hunt?" Yuta asked.

"No, this meat mysteriously appeared one day. A winter miracle! Hoorah!" Ten sarcastically replied. Yuta softly laughed, enjoying the comradery they had.

"Have you talked to Johnny yet?" Yuta asked, his true question, because he knew of their relationship, a secret Ten had told him.

"You mean Younghoe? No, he's been busy." Ten pouted. Yuta laughed again, before gathering himself again, and assuming the best serious face he could (which wasn't that great, because Ten had the uncanny ability to place anybody in a good mood).

"It's not nice use his formal name in that way, Chittaphon." Yuta playfully chided.

"I can do whatever I want, you know that." Ten casually said.

"Whatever." Yuta retorted, finding himself with a lack of comebacks.

"So, when are _you_ going to find a mate?" Ten asked a moment later, a wicked smile on his face.

"When I want to." Yuta replied, avoiding Ten's probing gaze.

"Come on! You're in the best years of your life, isn't it about time?"

"And who would I want? Who would want me?" Yuta said, feeling the self-pity all of the sudden. It was true, he didn't particularly feel anything romantically for anyone at this time, and he was pretty sure no one in the pack felt anything like romantic love for him.

"There's always Hansol." Ten said, that mischievous twinkling light back in his eyes. Yuta blushed, remembering the thing he and Hansol had, but that was years past. They had both moved on.

"That was such a long time ago. And it's over now." Yuta whined, annoyed that Ten had such an easy way to get under his skin.

"Sure." Ten said with a wink, and Yuta frowned. Surely Hansol still didn't harbor feelings for him? He quickly dismissed the thought, because no, that wasn't possible.

"Oooh did you hear about Jaehyung and how he tried to plant those herbs that Doyoung needed without any..." Ten said, quickly moving on from the subject. Yuta listened to the other's happy chatter, glad for the change of topic, and the company. He listened somewhat attentively, nodding when appropriate and adding in comments occasionally, but mostly he let himself dwell in his thoughts.

Finally, even Yuta's nimble fingers started slipping, and he suggested that they took a break, out of the piercing cold. Ten happily agreed, and they headed back to their yurt, hands stained red, and frozen to the core. Yuta started a fire in the center of their yurt, and Ten put the cleanest snow he could find in the only metal pot they had. Being bachelors (well, mostly so), they had simple possessions, and next to nothing, but that was fine with them. Traveling with the pack was exhausting by itself, and even more so when you had too much to carry. They huddled around the snapping fire, watching as the snow melted into warm, boiling, water. Then, they took two well used rags and slowly rubbed even more warmth into their hands, and faces, while cleaning themselves. When Yuta was done, he leaned tiredly into the many pillows Ten insisted they had. It was nice to relax like this, sometimes, in his own home. Still, he couldn't completely clear his uneasy mind, Ten's words still rang in Yuta's mind. But he dismissed them again, blaming fear of the irrational. He and Hansol were over, that was common knowledge. And he would find the one, someday. It was just a matter of time.

"Did you hear about the neighboring packs? The Permanents?" Yuta's interest peaked at Ten's comment. He had heard about the packs that had, for some reason, decided to give up the customary nomadic way of life, but didn't know much about them, except that they were fiercely territorial, more so than your usual pack, and they cultivated crops and livestock, instead of the traditional hunting and gathering.

"No." Yuta responded, curious of what gossip Ten always had to share.

"There was a pack nearby, and they were one of the larger ones, the more successful ones." Yuta nodded, he knew that one benefit of staying in one place was that your pack's population expanded.

"But then, one day, they just vanished. Their buildings were still there, but there wasn't a soul in their village when other Permanents came to trade with them. They found nothing." Ten whispered mysteriously. 

Yuta scoffed, he had never believed in this superstitious stuff, "Maybe they just decided to migrate again."

"So why did they leave everything behind? Food, yurts, cooking utensils, everything!" Ten said, sitting up in his excitement, "Why would they just disappear?"

Yuta shrugged, there wasn't a great answer to those questions, but it had to be something logical. He couldn't think of anything, though.

"Who knows, Ten. Sometimes weird things happen."

"They don't just happen," Ten protested, "Everything happens for a reason."

"I guess you're right, " Yuta said, as he suddenly tackled Ten, "This happened for a reason too, 'cause you annoyed me so much!" They collapsed into a pile of laughter, and Yuta felt content, he lived a good life here. He would miss Ten when he and Johnny finally announced their relationship. They continued to relax in their home, playing around, and Yuta found the company of one of his few books to be enjoyable today. He read a few chapters, while Ten took a nap. Then, he heard the pealing of the gong from the center of the camp, and went over to Ten's bed, and shook Ten himself to wake him up.

"Bastard." Ten mumbled into his pillow.

"Fine, miss dinner, then. More for me." Yuta said, moving towards the door, knowing that the mention of food would be enough to rouse Ten. It did, and they both proceeded towards the center of the camp, again. They settled themselves around a fire, that was the in the row just outside of the central fire. Yuta waved to Mark and Haechan, who were at the fire next to them, and he smirked at Taeil at the fire to their right, who was getting a scolding from Si Cheng, who was surprisingly fluent in their language when he wanted to be, despite being from another pack in a very different part of the world. He also knew that he was being honored, for he got to sit in the row outside of the central fire, where the Head Alpha and his mate ruled. He glanced behind him, towards the outermost rows, and while he could tell they were warm, it wasn't as nice as being in the middle of all of it. The symbolic position of where he was allowed to eat was even more important, though, because being so close to the Head Alpha was an honor, even if the Alpha himself didn't want to be the Head Alpha, as Jaehyung had confessed to him. But he did the best he could anyways, and led their pack well. Yuta smiled happily when Jaehyung, and his mate Doyoung, walked towards their fire, and sat down, except Jaehyung remained standing.

"May the moon forever guide us with her beams of silver." Jaehyung recited, as was customary. The rest of the pack repeated the lines by heart.

"May the deer forever thrive, as is necessary for all." The murmuring of the pack was comforting to Yuta, as he muttered the words as well.

"May the seasons change with the breath of life."

"May life flourish within our world, and the worlds of many."

"May the pack harmoniously prosper, as one." Jaehyun finished, as he sat down. They could eat once the blessings were cast. Yuta remembered being impatient when he was younger. He resented the blessings once, but now he found them to be a rather nice tradition. Ten rushed to the nearby food tables, and returned with the kabobs they had made earlier, along with some vegetables (Ten insisted on variation, and Yuta agreed), and a mysterious flask, which Yuta eyed suspiciously, but it turned out to be carefully preserved apple cider. He didn't approve of alcohol for most occasions.

"Looks good." Yuta commented, which was a total understatement. It had been so long since they had eaten fresh meat, the official hunt had been gone for a while, and they had to survive on dried foods and the occasional small mammal. Yuta could only do so much, he was a great hunter, yes, but also an Omega, and he hated being one sometimes, for it restricted his access to the official hunting party. But he pushed away such unhappy thoughts, and focused on the feast.

"Mmmmm." Ten sighed in bliss, as he bit into a still bloody peice of meat, barely cooked.

"You should cook it more, you know we aren't totally immune in this form." Yuta said, watching Ten devour his meal.

"Psh. I'm not going to be sick." Ten said, and Yuta knew this to be true. He swore Ten had immunity in life, and he was so jealous. Yuta consoled himself by munching on some rehydrated spinach, it wasn't so bad. It was torture though, watching the deer slowly cook over the flames, but finally Yuta deemed it safely past the point of rawness. He bit into the soft meat, sighing as the juices ran down his throat. He and Ten ate in silence for a while, their hunger too strong for conversation, but so was most of the pack's hunger. Finally, conversation began to pick up again, as everybody reached the point of being full enough. Yuta reclined on the furs he and Ten had brought to the fire, and sighed contently again as he popped some dried berries into his mouth. It was a good life, Yuta decided again, that he lived. His eyes flickered towards Hansol, who was sitting across from him in the ring. He quickly looked away. Yuta rectified his previous statement, it was a _mostly_ good life. 

* * *

This time Yuta was the one who was being shoved awake, and he groaned to see Ten standing over him.

"It's too early." Yuta grumbled into his pillow. He looked towards the door, the sun was barely rising.

"We have to pack." Ten yelled, probably another attempt to wake him up, he knew that Yuta preferred quiet in the mornings. Yuta groaned again, and rolled over, but he didn't fall asleep again. Responsibility told him he had to get up, and he did. He dressed simply, but with more furs. Who knew how long they had to walk this time, and who knew how cold it would get today? Then he helped Ten dismantle everything, and pack it all onto the cart they shared.

"Can't you drive it this time?" Yuta whined, "I've been doing it for the last three times!"

"Fine, I'll drive." Ten playfully rolled his eyes, as he went out to prepare the horse. At least they had a horse, Yuta thought. He realized that without having to sit in the bumpy cart, he could run in wolf form. He packed his clothes into the cart, and shifted, wincing again at the familiar pain. Instantly, everything became more sharper, more alive. Yuta liked being in wolf form more, but he missed the opposable thumbs. He sniffed around one more time, to make sure everything was in it's place, and went out the open doorway.

"Hey." Ten said, grooming their horse, who was covered in more furs than Ten was. Yuta huffed back a reply, unable to speak anymore, and continued his graceful wolf walk around the camp, making sure everything was alright. He liked to look out for the others in this way, and especially the few Omegas this pack had. He saw others in wolf form too, but more as humans. And the ones who had shifted were mostly hunters, warriors almost. Yuta wondered if Jaehyung had heard the story of the vanishing nearby Permanents, and had ordered more security. He knew that their leader liked to play it safe, and Yuta mostly agreed.

With everything seemingly in order, Yuta returned to his cart, where everything was ready as well. They were at the front of procession, so Yuta saw Jaehyung lift his light brown head in wolf form to howl, signaling the pack to begin moving again. The entire pack started moving as one, Yuta loping playfully around the cart Ten was driving. He was probably annoying the other, but it was just payback in Yuta's eyes. They stopped to rest a few times, but kept moving, covering a great amount of land. Finally, they stopped, for it was night, and everybody was practically starving again. 

Yuta and Ten busied themselves with setting up the yurt, and they had a quick home-cooked meal, no feast with the entire pack like last night, but it was enough. They said a quick goodnight to each other, and Ten climbed into his bed and fell asleep immediately, but Yuta, for some incomprehensible reason, could not. Maybe it was the chills of this place (they were near the abandoned Permanent settlement), or his wolf instincts, but he just couldn't sleep. A run, he decided, would help him greatly. Yuta quietly slipped off his clothes, and shifted into wolf form. He padded out of the door, and almost immediately stumbled into a pit of deceivingly hard snow, but it was soft. At least it was a shallow pit, but he had to be more careful. He shook off the cold white dust, and continued towards the exits. He nodded to the guards who let him past, knowing his passion for nightly runs. Hansol was one of them, his blond fur shining in the moonlight, and he gave a quiet bark, warning Yuta to be careful. He avoided eye contact, but that wasn't abnormal for wolves, and barked back, quietly. 

Soon, after he left the camp, Yuta broke out into his run, one of the fastest in the pack. He loved the way the air flowed past him, he loved the way the cold fresh air would sting his lungs. It made him feel so free. Soon enough, he picked up a curious scent. It smelled like a wolf, but with a odd tang, blood? He saw the wolf-blood soon enough. Yuta then remembered one his packs' core values that had been drilled into him since he was a pup. Always help others, even if they aren't from your pack (as long as they are good, as well. Evil ones were to be driven off). But it was late at night, and the eerie quiet of this place was getting to him. Still, Yuta couldn't leave another out there, he at least needed to find out more before making a decision. He ran along the scent and blood trail, following it as best as possible. Finally he began to pick up on whimpering sounds as well. Slowing his pace, Yuta slowly crept toward the source of all of this.

He gasped, or in his wolf form, huffed in surprise at the sight in front of him. It was a wolf, with radiant silver fur, lying on his side, gasping for breath. There was a nasty wound along the wolf's flank, complete with a coat of deep, dark, and dried blood. In any case the Alpha, Yuta assumed by the smell, was in no position to attack him, and it was Yuta's duty to help. He lowered his tail in a friendly gesture, and slowly approached the injured wolf. The silver furred one must have sensed his presence, because he suddenly lifted his head and snapped at Yuta. Yuta jumped away in surprise, but made small comforting sounds. He avoided eye contact, and kept a friendly posture. _I'm here as a friend,_ his body was saying. The other must have understood, or just run out of energy, because the Alpha lowered his head again. Yuta cautiously approached once more, and eventually was close enough to nuzzle the fur of the other, trying to reassure him, and to see how bad it actually was. The wound was just as bad, worse possibly, up close.

Yuta sat back down on his haunches, pondering on what to do. Doyoung was a skilled healer, and it was close, but not too late to save this wolf, but how could he get him back to camp? He knew what he had to do. Nuzzling the other comfortingly one more time, Yuta ran back towards camp, barking and howling for help. They must have heard him a while away, because they met him a little ways from the camp, with a cart, and with reinforcements. When they saw that Yuta was safe, they were puzzled, some of them annoyed even, but Yuta just barked again and ran towards the injured wolf. He could hear them following, and increased his pace. He reached the silver wolf before they did, and was keeping him company, trying to reassure the Alpha. When the other's arrived, he could hear gasps, and he knew they understood now. The strange wolf was lifted onto the cart immediately. They ran back to the camp, as quickly, but also as gently as possible. It seemed like forever before they reached Doyoung's healing yurt. He had already been alerted, just in case, so the wolf was taken right in, and Yuta frustratingly was denied entrance.

That was the last of the silver wolf Yuta saw for days. The screams, though, he heard the screams.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, did I really write that much? 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed <3


	2. A W A K E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one! Sorry for any errors, please enjoy!

Yuta paced anxiously outside the healing yurt's doorway, as was his custom nowadays. They still denied him entrance to see the strange wolf, but Yuta needed to, for some reason. He didn't know why, not exactly, but there was a pull inside of him now, calling him to the Alpha. Eventually, he plopped down by the doorway, trying to not listen to the pained groans coming from the inside, but wanting to be closer all the same. He put his head in between his knees, cursing his sharp senses for the first time. Another yell from inside the house, another wince on Yuta's face. It must have been six days now, but nothing had changed.

He heard Ten's signature footsteps in the distance, light but with purpose, and lifted his head up, just a bit.

"It's not going to help him, it's not going to help anyone if you just sit here." Ten scolded him, and Yuta heard the truth in what Ten was saying, but he couldn't pull himself away.

"I need to be here...for..when he wakes up." Yuta managed to croak out, throat dry from lack of water.

"You'll starve before that." Ten said in a condescending voice as he forcefully pulled Yuta up, "It's been five days without food or drink for you, and in human form. You should know better."

Yuta let himself be dragged back to their yurt, and he blankly stared at the dried meat, apple slices, and the bowl of water that had been placed in front of him. He did have great endurance, but Ten was right. He could only handle so much in human form, or as a wolf for that matter. Yuta reluctantly picked up a strip of meat, and chewed it for a while. He ate dried apples in the same way, and he thirstily drank down the water.

"Why can't I go back?" Yuta whined after he finished the simple meal. He had tried to go back to Doyoung's workplace, but Ten had blocked his way.

"You'll just be like this again in a few days. Besides," Ten replied, "You're going on an expedition with a few others to forage what we can."

"It's wintertime. There's nothing to forage." Yuta complained in reply.

"We're nearer to the warmer places now," Ten calmly said, "I've seen some good places to forage. We need your help."

It was true, the ground was now spotted, with patches of white snow, dirty brown earth, and vibrant green. But that wasn't a huge motivator for Yuta, who just wanted to keep his vigil by the door.

"No." Yuta muttered stubbornly. He sounded like a child, but at this moment, he didn't care.

"Why do you care so much, anyways? You've found him, your part is done in this." Ten gently said. Why did he care so much? Yuta really didn't know.

"I dunno." was the only reply Ten got. The other Omega frowned at Yuta curiously, and then shook his head before turning away to pack some furs into a pack. But, soon enough, the usual Chittaphon energy had returned, with his usual smile. A bright one, a lovely one, Yuta had decided, when they had first met.

"We'll just make you go, you know. And then you'll have no choice but to help." Yuta groaned, knowing he was right. He hated feeling useless, hated being useless. If they made him go, he would go. And he would try, as best as he could. But he really wanted to stay.

"Please?" Yuta looked a Ten with puppy eyes, and his signature smile (except he made it a bit pitiful), that would usually have done the trick, but Ten stayed firm.

"Nope!" he replied, as bright as the sun, "We leave in thirty minutes, but don't worry, I've packed most everything. You just rest." If there was nothing Yuta could do now, he might as well follow Ten's advice. He dragged himself to his bed, trying to savor it's comfort before being forced out into the true Wilds.

* * *

They were all ready at the exits from the camp. Ten, Yuta, Taeil, Johnny, Hansol, and suprisingly, Chen Le. Yuta hadn't expected to take the younger on a journey out so soon, but he supposed it was never really too early to learn. Most of them carried empty packs, for the foraging, as well as baskets, but others carried the essentials of what they would need out there. Yuta wasn't worried, most of the members in the group were experienced in the art of survival, but it never hurt to make sure everything was in it's place, which is exactly what Yuta did. Satisfied, the group headed out from camp, with a goodbye howl from the others, as was tradition. It had been a long time since Yuta had set out on a long(-ish) journey from the camp, and he was feeling rather excited, which was the emotion he decided to chose, instead of nervous. 

They went at an achingly slow pace, trying to conserve energy. But Yuta, who was so used to his runs, felt bored and impatient instead. He never wanted to come on this trip anyways. Finally after several days, the group arrived at a bushy area, and Yuta could already see the berries. They didn't seem to be fully ripe yet, it was still winter after all, but they could be used to the pack's great advantage. Happily, they all rushed to the bushes, but warily, because one never knew if you were intruding on Permanent territory. However, there seemed to be no one around, and there was no marking scents, so they started vigorously picking. Even Johnny and Hansol, the Alphas, started to help. They were like this for a while, happy to find such bounty.

However, nothing gold could stay, and Yuta soon started hearing suspicious noises, like a twig snapping here or there. He tried to alert Johnny, who was closest to him, as inconspicuously as possible, but the Alpha dismissed him, saying that he had heard nothing. Yuta was enraged, did they think, just because he was an Omega, that he was not capable of hearing? The injustice of his rank had finally made Yuta snap, and he was about to argue back, when he felt a sharp prick in his neck, and everything went black.

* * *

 Yuta awoke, head pounding and throat terribly dry, in a tiny yurt on a rather decent bed. He was confused for a moment, why would his captors provide such comfortable accommodations? But Yuta decided to move on, he would count this as a blessing, for he had heard stories of captured wolves, and he knew that this was an unusually lucky circumstance. Still, the fact remained that Yuta was definitely kidnapped. And based on the structure of the yurt, he was in a Permanent settlement. Perhaps they treated their prisoners differently, although this was still too kind. Yuta groaned, his head still in pain, and unable to wrap around the mystery. A brief flash of panic flashed through him, what of the others? But panicking would do nothing to help, and he could smell a guard outside of the doorway. He was trapped, for the moment. 

Yuta reluctantly got off the bed, or cot, more like. He saw a low table with a few strips of meat and dried fruit on it, as well as a bowl of water. He walked over, and sniffed the food cautiously. Doyoung had taught him to recognize poison, and there didn't seem to be any, although the food smelled rather stale. Yuta was still wary, but he ate the meager rations anyways, grateful for the energy. When Yuta was finished with the food and drink, he walked, more like crawled back to the cot, where he tried to rest again. However, his head was still filled with worries, and he was too alert to sleep anyways. Yuta waited for what felt like hours like that.

Suddenly, the cloth flap to his yurt was blown open, and Yuta quickly leapt to his feet. But when he saw the young boy, an Alpha of course (the smell was so dominant), he felt a bit of uncertainty. Surely they wouldn't send someone this young to interrogate him, the boy looked younger than Chen Le! But, it was apparently so.

"Hello. I'm Jisung. Second Alpha of this pack."

Yuta's jaw dropped in amazement, because no, this youngling still, surely, had a few more years until he was old enough. 

"What," Jisung smirked seeing Yuta's reaction, "We do things a bit differently here. I'm perfectly qualified, I can reassure you of that. Come, sit." Jisung gestured to the low table, where a few cushions were being set out on the floor. Yuta, still not comprehending things, walked over and sat on a cushion on dazed legs. They sat in a tense silence, while tea was being poured for them. Jisung took a sip, even though it was still boiling hot. Yuta was still confused about the show of hospitality.

"So," Jisung began in a affable tone, "For some reason, even though you were stealing our berries, I've been ordered to not kill you. By the Head Alpha." Yuta narrowed his eyes suspiciously, he didn't like the way this young wolf was talking about his life, and what was Jisung getting at, anyways? "But," Jisung continued, "He did _not_ give me any orders on what to do with your friends." Yuta's heart skipped a beat, he knew well enough what most packs did to their prisoners. "So, why shouldn't I kill them? Give me a good reason." Jisung finished, setting his cup down. Yuta stuttered a bit, before composing himself again. His pack member's lives were at stake here.

"They're hard, good workers. We've brought some of our best on this expedition, and young blood too. We could be useful." Yuta desperately begged. Being absorbed into another pack was better than death.

"But our population is already so large, and we have many skilled ones." Jisung said.

Yuta swallowed nervously, what could he barter with? "We have produced the best musical instruments in the land, they have been traded for much." he said in a shaky voice.

"Interesting offer, but we do not need more instruments."

"Look! If you aren't going to kill me, please don't kill them. Or I will kill myself, and you will face the wrath of your Alpha." Yuta threatened. It sounded weak, even to him, but it was his last shot. Jisung seemed to consider this.

"It's true. My Alpha is one to fear." He considered Yuta's threat a bit more, "We'll keep them alive for a bit longer." he finally decided, and Yuta sighed in relief.

"Meanwhile," he continued, "You'll stay here. We'll keep you here until our Alpha returns from his hunt, and we'll see what he wants to do with you. See you later." Jisung said as he walked out of the door, "Not that, you know, you could go anywhere anyways. Don't try anything stupid." Jisung said as a final warning. Yuta remained seated at the table for a while longer. He had learned little from this encounter, and was feeling more nervous than ever, but at least, he had bought his packmates more time.

* * *

Being stuck inside that tiny yurt was one of the most frustrating things Yuta had ever experienced. He barely knew what time it was, and could only keep track of the days when his guards told him to sleep, or to wake up, or to eat. He had nothing else to do, and his legs ached for a run. But Yuta had to stay put, if it meant keeping his friends alive.

One day, he heard some horns blow their loud, clear, sound. His interest peaked, was the Head Alpha back yet? Yuta walked as close to the doorway as he dared to, and he assumed by the noise of the crowd that yes, the Alpha was back. Yuta's heart sank. What would happen to him now? The noise quieted down, and Yuta sat by the table, awaiting his fate. Jisung walked in a few moments later, his demeanor more serious than last time.

"The Head Alpha is back. You're to see him in his yurt." Jisung said, grabbing him by his elbow. He was thrust into the world, which he got a faint glimpse of before the blinding light hit him. Then, Jisung marched Yuta through the settlement towards the largest yurt, obviously the Alpha's. Yuta looked down at his feet, feeling the curious glances. Finally they arrived before the yurt. Jisung stepped closer, right by Yuta's ear and whispered one last warning.

"Don't underestimate what an honor this is. If anything happens, the blood of your friends will be on your hands." Yuta nodded, understanding, because he had to. Then, he stepped inside the yurt.

His heart was caught in his throat. It was the silver wolf, in human form this time. Three ugly scars ran across his finely defined abdominal muscles, and Yuta shuddered, remembering how bad they were. But was this wolf doing here?

"Hello," he said, "I'm Lee Taeyong."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	3. M I N E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I've been really tired, so this chapter is definitely not my strongest.
> 
> But still, please enjoy!

Yuta stared at the wolf, whose name was apparently Taeyong. It was clear, that this was the Alpha he had found days ago. The scars matched, and that _delicious_ smell was exactly the same....but Yuta couldn't think about that now. There were more important things he needed to know.

"Come, sit." Taeyong said as he gestured to a square cushion next to the one he was sitting on. Yuta nervously walked over and lowered himself upon the cushion, wary of the Head Alpha's intentions. Taeyong observed him for a moment, scrutinizing every inch of Yuta.

"You must have many questions." Taeyong casually commented, and Yuta almost snapped back a reply, who did this guy think he was? But then, he remembered the situation he was in, and chose to keep silent.

"You aren't going to get answers by keeping silent." Taeyong said, after a moment of silence.

"Who--who are you people?" Yuta shakily asked.

"We are the Tavaci pack." Taeyong replied, and Yuta's felt a flash of panic again. Even when they were nomads, the Tavaci pack was formidable, but now as Permanents? Yuta assumed that their power had only grown. Before Yuta lost his courage, he quickly asked another question.

"Why am I alive?" he blurted out. Usually, prisoners would be put to work, or worse, executed, but for some reason Yuta was still alive, on Taeyong's orders. The chances were next to none, and yet, it still had happened.

"Because you saved my life." Taeyong replied in a serious tone, his eyes staring intently at Yuta. "Do not think I forgot. Do not think I am not grateful. You, and your pack, saved me when I should have died." and then he paused, observing Yuta's reaction. "Do you regret your decision?" Yuta swallowed nervously, trying to decide between answering truthfully or not. In the end he decided to be truthful, because there seemed to be no way around this Alpha.

"No," Yuta whispered, "I don't regret it," but then he quickly added, "But if you are so grateful, who do you keep us here under the threat of death?"

"Because," Taeyong narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to Yuta, "I'm so incredibly infatuated with you."

Yuta blushed, and looked away. This was hardly the first time an Alpha had admitted something along those lines, but with Taeyong it was different. Everything was different. Still, Yuta refused to fall for the one who had the lives of his packmates in peril.

"Have you considered that this isn't the best way to court me, or anyone for that matter? My friends could have died!"

"Oh, Jisung. He likes to play around, don't worry about it."

"The fact remains that I am being kept here against my will, and so are my friends so," Yuta was suddenly cut off by Taeyong.

"Your friends?" he scoffed, "They left days ago."

"What--wait what? No, no, no, no. They wouldn't." Yuta whispered, not sure if he had heard Taeyong correctly.

Taeyong just shrugged and said, "We gave them the option to leave, and they took it. They asked for you, quite loudly, if that helps." Yuta's mind was still swimming. Surely they had not left, and even if they did, it was probably to get more reinforcements. He would not be left behind, at least not forever. It would be okay.

"Please," Yuta begged, hoping it would strike a spot within the Alpha's heart, "Don't keep me here. Don't make me miserable. Let me go."

"We could, if you would like us to capture your friends again." Taeyong said as he looked at Yuta with a steely gaze. That was it, then. Yuta had to stay here, if for the greater good. He didn't have a choice, not anymore. And if--if he had to stay with this Alpha to secure the safety of his pack, then Yuta would. He would do anything for his pack. 

"Very well." Yuta heard himself say, as if he was floating outside of his body, but Yuta knew that this was definitely not a dream. He had heard of situations like this (from Chittaphon, of course, and the very thought made his heart hurt), but never thought Yuta would be in one himself. "I'll stay." he finished, reluctantly.

Taeyong seemed to be satisfied, but there was still a storm brewing behind his eyes. "I hate to see you unhappy, though. I wonder, how to compromise?" Yuta almost snorted, how would anyone expect him to be happy, in these conditions? And how could anyone make it better. He was separated from his pack, his _family._ Probably for forever, and there wasn't anything anyone could really do. 

"I'll think on it," Taeyong finally decided, "Meanwhile, Jisung will escort you to your new home. I'll see you at dinner." And with that Jisung was back in the yurt, of course that brat had been eavesdropping, and Yuta was out, just like that.

Yuta got a better look at the village when they were walking to his "new home", which admittedly wasn't that far from the Head Alpha's yurt, so he only saw a bit more of the village, but it was enough. It appeared, on the surface, to be so ordinary. The yurts were more permanent, nailed down to the earth, and some with stone for wood walls. Women, men, and children bustled about, all with an agenda. It reminded Yuta of his pack, except there were more people, and if he was being more honest, it was more clean and organized. Another benefit of staying in one place, Yuta supposed. Then he was being shoved into his new yurt. 

It was larger than his own, and more organized. Several low tables with cushions were scattered inside the yurt. There was a large fire pit in the middle, a kitchen to the right side, bookshelves to the right, and across from the entrance there were the sleeping quarters, surrounded by curtains, for privacy. Slightly to the right of the sleeping quarters, there were what Yuta guessed, the bathroom, because of it's wooden walls. At least he had privacy here, and it was a large living space. Yuta walked around the yurt, examining every little thing. When he pulled across the curtains Yuta gasped, because they had actual beds here, and not the thin portable ones Yuta had lived on. It looked so comfortable, but Yuta reminded himself of the situation, and walked away from the fluffy bed.

"Well, everything to your satisfaction?" Jisung asked from the doorway, a smirk on his face.

"You know, I think you're still lying about being Second Alpha. You seem more like the Head Alpha's servant boy." Yuta remarked, as he was turning over some cushions.

Jisung gasped in fake anger, and said, "How dare you insult my honor! Why we're giving you one of our best houses, I don't know. Brat." Yuta just turned to face the younger, and glared at him for a moment, before continuing his examination of the yurt. Jisung was still annoying him, but it was hard to not smile with amusement when the younger talked. Sometimes.

"Well, if you need anything, just give a call." Jisung said, an unexpectedly generous offer.

Yuta just nodded and asked, "Can I leave this yurt?"

"Sure. With Jeno and Jaemin here." Jisung said as he gestured to two boys, who only looked a few years older than he was. They smelled like Betas, and Yuta's mind already was trying to work out the best way to overpower them both. It wouldn't be easy, but at least he didn't get two Alphas to baby sit him.

"Don't even think about trying to fight them, " Jisung warned, probably seeing the look on Yuta's face, "I trained them myself."

"And?" Yuta smirked.

"Don't mess with them." was Jisung's final warning. If the little brat was really that talented, then it probably wouldn't end well for Yuta if he found the Second Alpha's disciples. He sighed, every plan he had developed had been destroyed in some way.

"Fine." was the only thing Yuta would say, but Jisung only smirked again. That little brat.

"Bye then. Get settled in your new home." Jisung was gone, and Yuta could see the two shadows of Jeno and Jaemin outside. He had some sort of privacy now, and that was better than nothing, Yuta knew. He tiredly walked over to his bed, and plopped himself onto it, exhausted from the proceedings of that day. His mind was still racing from what Taeyong had said, and more importantly, how Yuta had reacted. Why was Alpha so interested in Yuta, and why wasn't Yuta protesting as much as he could? Why did Yuta, after everything that had happened, still feel a pull towards the mysterious silver haired wolf?

* * *

Yuta stayed in the yurt, imaging the gossip he would bring, instead of actually having to hear the whispers follow him wherever he went. He already had too much of that in his own pack, thank you very much. Besides, he didn't really feel safe in this strange and unfamiliar village, no matter what his guards reassured him of. It wasn't home, and would never be home. Yuta had to accept that.

Meanwhile, he also tried to think of his "old" pack. The way Jaehyun's dimples appeared when he smiled. How Doyoung could gently, but firmly, lead the pack, even though he was an Omega, and only the Head Alpha's mate. It didn't matter, much, in Yuta's pack. Only, he wasn't allowed in the hunt, and that still irked Yuta. 

Remembering his former pack was too painful, eventually, so he made his way over to the bookshelves, and picked out a random novel. It would do, and Yuta eventually comfortably settled into some random story, that no matter how hard he tried, Yuta could not get into. It was a good story, but through no fault of its own, Yuta's attention was still focused upon Taeyong. He ached to see the other again, and kept on looking at the position of the sun, trying to determine when dinnertime would come. When he would see Taeyong again. Finally, he could hear several loud bells pearling over the village, when the sun was setting. It was time, Yuta assumed. Soon enough, Jeno poked his head in to alert Yuta. They escorted him towards the center of the village.

Yuta could see multiple low tables in a very large circle, with many cushions, everywhere. It looked, if Yuta was being honest, rather nice, and more sophisticated than the communal dinners his old pack had, but he quickly pushed that thought out of his mind. He didn't belong here, no matter how sophisticated everything was. He was wild, he was a nomad by nature. He would not be tamed.

"Over there." Jaemin pointed to a table that was a the "head" of the oval. And Taeyong, looking strikingly beautiful in a ceremonial white robe, was sitting there. Yuta hesitantly walked over, still feeling the glares from the village. He managed to walk over and sit down without looking like a fool.

"It's our Winter Celebration," Taeyong told Yuta as he sat down, "The start of it, anyways. It'll only end when the new year arrives."

"And why am I here?" Yuta questioned.

"Because I want you here." Taeyong instantly replied. Yuta sighed, it was always so complicated and so simple at the same time to be the object of an Alpha's affections, but it appeared that this time, it was equally confusing and simple for Yuta as well. He resented Taeyong from separating him from his pack, and yet, he still felt this pull towards the Alpha.

Taeyong then stood up, and surveyed the crowd, the entire village, that had arrived. He picked up the padded mallet, and struck the finely decorated gong behind him three times, it's rich tone reverberating over all. Then, three dancers in elegant costumes ran into the center of the circle and started dancing, accompanied by a band of musicians. Apparently, the feast had started. The night went on like that, filled with entertainment of all sorts that Yuta normally would have enjoyed. However, he had eyes for one thing and one thing only. Taeyong.

Being so close to the other was exhilarating for Yuta. He was so close to Taeyong that they touched occasionally, and Yuta swore there were sparks when they did, because nothing, not even the strongest bolt of lightning, came close to the electricity Yuta had felt. Sometimes Yuta also thought that he was in a dream, because nobody as perfectly sculpted as Taeyong could exist, not in the real world. No, it wasn't possible. But Yuta had to push those thoughts away, he had to. For this man was still the one who kept Yuta away from his family. That didn't mean Yuta couldn't look, though.

Hungry, he decided to snack a bit on the food before him. And then he focused on the entertainment, because Taeyong was too distracting, and Yuta was determined to prove to himself that he could resist Taeyong. A rare smile graced his lips as he watched the comedy trio that was currently running around, "fighting". 

"You have a beautiful smile." Taeyong quietly said, but Yuta heard every word, and his heart gave a particularly loud thump. He blushed and looked away, suddenly very shy, uncharacteristically bashful for Yuta. 

"Thank you." Yuta awkwardly replied, because how was he supposed to respond to this?

"Actually, I have a gift for you." Yuta was surprised. A gift from Taeyong was the last thing he had expected. Taeyong slid a little black box over on the table. Yuta cautiously took it, and opened the little thing. He gasped when he saw the two fine bone earrings inside, carved to look like moons, with little flower etched onto those. It was delicate, and so beautiful. Yuta looked up to Taeyong, not sure what to say, not sure what to think.

"Thank you." he finally managed to say. Taeyong just shrugged, and turned back to the entertainment, and he left Yuta feeling more confused than ever. The rest of the night passed quickly, with Yuta trying to figure everything out, but unable to. Finally, the feast appeared to be over, as the people were disappearing from the tables. He turned to Taeyong unsure of what to do, only to find the Alpha to be staring at Yuta with has dark, deep, and intense eyes. Yuta looked away, not used to such attention.

"We have a lot of things to talk about, but you look tired. Go, rest." Taeyong said as he stood up, and walked away from Yuta without another word.

While laying on his bed that night, Yuta didn't know if he should have cursed or worshiped the gods for making him meet a creature as mysterious and bewitching as Taeyong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	4. B A C K

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I haven't updated in a while. I took a little break for Christmas, but I should be back now :)

The sky was a bright blue, the sun was watching over all with gentle rays of warmth and light, and the sounds of nature filled Yuta's ears. It would have been the perfect day, if he wasn't still being held captive in the Tavaci pack's village. 

Two weeks had passed since the feast, and he saw little of Taeyong, alarmingly little. It was reasonable to assume that Taeyong was busy, like most Head Alphas, but Yuta almost felt like he was cast away. One night the Alpha was so interested in Yuta, and then the next fortnight he had suddenly vanished. Poof. And what was Yuta supposed to do? Sit around uselessly? Well, as it turned out, that was exactly what Yuta did.

What was worse, though, than the absence of Taeyong, or the feeling of being useless, or _still_ being separated from his pack, were the whispers. The gossip that followed Yuta like a hungry abandoned pup. He thought that he could get used to it, always had before, but it was worse this time, for some odd reason. No matter what, he heard the village people saying humiliating things, and it honestly worried Yuta that the people of this village thought that he was going to be the future mate of the Head Alpha, because that would only happen in hell, right? It just wasn't customary for the Head Alpha to mate outside of the clan, even Ten had never heard of it, besides, how was Yuta qualified? There were people being born for this purpose, trained for it too, and Yuta was just a simple Omega. So no, it wasn't going to happen. Then, Yuta would hear Jisung's voice saying _"We do things a bit differently here."_   and the panic would come back in a heartbeat. It was useless to panic, but Yuta did so anyways.

Yuta sighed as he thought through his dilemma again. And again, Yuta came to no conclusion. He decided to go for a walk through the village, because it was nice day, and even though it would mean facing the outside, it would hopefully still help him, in some way. He called out to Jeno and Jaemin outside, asking them for permission (god, how he hated doing that), and thankfully, they agreed, probably hearing the ache in Yuta's voice. He lifted the heavy cloth flap, and stepped outside into the blinding sun and the fresh air. He hadn't been out much, not lately, and surprisingly little snow remained on the ground, even less than the last time he had been outside his yurt. What little snow remained couldn't even be counted as snow, for it was more like slush. Still, as Yuta sniffed the fresh air, the clean and sharp scent of snow remained, despite being diluted so much.

Yuta started walking down the main road through the village, with Jeno and Jaemin by his side, just lagging behind a little bit. Yuta was glad for their understanding, they knew to give him space, sometimes.

He started with fascination at the vendor's stalls at the sides of the main road, and all the different wares they had to display. There were finely embroidered silks and other fabrics, as well as a variety of fruits, or masterfully crafted jewelry of shiny shells, metals, and an occasional rare gem. He also still puzzled about the concept of currency, those little metal coins. They could have been used to make so many different things, and yet, they were being passed around for objects. But, it was the Tavaci way, and Yuta could only watch and wonder. Yuta tried to ignore the glances being directed towards him, or the little bits of conversation he could hear, but it was nearly impossible.

_"--you hear about him? Only two weeks here, but he hasn't seen Head Alpha since?"_

_"Want to make him wait I suppose? Who knows."_

_"Still, he's a nomad. I'm personally still rooting for--" _ They paused as Yuta nonchalantly walked by, but he drifted off again, too immersed in the gossiper's conversation to want them to stop.He heard some snickering as their conversation started again.

 _"Well, I could see why the Head Alpha would chose him."_ 

_"Doesn't make up for the fact that he's probably a savage, you know how the nomads are. But I've heard they're more fertile than we are, natural selection and all that."_

_"Like you would know this, you're still in the first school!"_ The other person teased, but Yuta couldn't stand to hear any more. He was utterly and completely disgusted with the way the people saw him, for his looks, and simply that. Or how they assumed that he would bear children willingly (because he was an _Omega_ , perhaps?), or any children at all. How they assumed the even had the simple capacity to do so, which, as Yuta remembered with a bitter flashback, he did not have.

Sighing, Yuta signaled his guards to go back. Maybe this walk wasn't as helpful as he planned it to be. Once they arrived back at the yurt, Yuta with the food he would need for the next few days, he trudged towards his bed, and flopped down onto it. Now Yuta could hibernate himself again in the yurt, now with the supplies he needed, and the only company he desired, himself. He was close to falling asleep, too emotionally and physically exhausted to stay awake, when the heard a distant fanfare. Yuta hadn't heard one in days, it usually meant somebody was leaving or coming into the city, or something important was happening. He reluctantly climbed out of the bed, and asked Jeno what the cause of the fanfare was.

"Um. You'll--ah--see. Maybe smell." was the only reply Yuta got. It was unlike Jeno to give him such ambiguous answers, and Yuta could only retreat into the yurt, frustrated with the lack of knowledge, as he always was. Maybe the Tavaci hunt had returned with fresh meat, but their hunt was more of a military, a group of well trained warriors to protect the city. Yuta knew that the Tavaci cultivated livestock instead, and had no need for a hunt. Besides, Jeno wouldn't have been so ambiguous. It had to concern Yuta himself, then, but he couldn't figure out what. All Yuta could do was sit relatively close to the door, hoping for a clue.

He leapt to his feet, nerves on fire. It was his pack, his _family_. Their scent was one of the things Yuta had most longed for in the past two weeks, and it suddenly flooded his nose. But why where they here? It was too dangerous, and he hoped they would leave, soon. Most Permanents did not approve of their nomadic life, Yuta knew, as he bitterly remembered the conversation he had just eavesdropped on in the main part of the village. Still, perhaps Taeyong would treat them well, he had promised to make Yuta happy in a way, after all. But there was no way Yuta could know because he was still _stuck_ in this _stupid yurt_!

Yuta rushed to the door."Why are they here?!" he frantically asked.

"I don't know." Jaemin uncertainly answered, after glancing at Jeno.

"Can't I see them?!" Yuta pitifully begged, hating the way he sounded, but needing to ask the question all the same.

"We have...orders to keep you inside." Jeno responded, guiltily looking away. Yuta hit the door frame angrily, and walked away. At least Jeno had the decency to look guilty. Yuta's pack was so close, and yet, he was still stuck in here. He growled, feeling more trapped than ever. Suddenly, the flap was lifted to reveal a slightly angry, but more confused looking Taeyong. Yuta sighed, the hadn't seen the other man in such a long time, and this was the way they met again.

"Why are they here?" Taeyong asked in a surprisingly gentle voice, but still incredibly demanding and powerful voice at the same time.

"How am I supposed to know?" Yuta bitterly replied. Taeyong sighed, and had a concentrated look on his face. He was debating something inside his head. 

"Come on." Taeyong gruffly said after thinking for a while, as he took Yuta by the arm, and started walking him outside. Jeno and Jaemin were surprised when they marched out like that, but a nod from Taeyong, and they silently started following them. A concerned looking Jisung rushed up to the little procession, but was silenced with a glare from Taeyong, and he too, joined the march. Yuta tried to focus on the road ahead, and not the curious, if slightly hostile glares (now), from the village people who had lined up on the sides of the road to watch them. They finally reached they village square, where the feast two weeks ago had taken place. The tables, fires, and food were gone now, replaced with Yuta's pack.

He almost burst into tears of pure joy, seeing them here, in real life. It wasn't safe for them, and he knew that they should be going away, but he couldn't help feeling overly happy at the sight of them. It smelled like home for the first time in forever.

Yuta wanted to run to them, to feel the missing comfort of being in a pack, but Taeyong's hand still gripped his elbow, and he remained by the Alpha's side, a harsh reminder of his position. There was a tense silence as the two opposing parties stood there, staring at each other. Finally, Taeyong broke the suffocating silence.

"What are you doing here?" Taeyong asked tensely as Jaehyun stepped out from the crowd, Doyoung following close behind.

"Are we not allowed to?" Jaehyun asked, "I thought you allowed nomads to come in your city and trade, if we wanted to." he said in an equally tense voice. Taeyong narrowed his eyes, and was silently thinking, Yuta knew by the concentrated look on his face.

"Very well," he finally said, "Welcome to our city."

Jaehyun nodded and asked, "Where can we set up?", sounding surprisingly polite after the face off they just had. Yuta bit his lip, he was so close, but he couldn't even talk to his pack. It was the most infuriating thing he had to go through in his entire life.

"Renjun, lead them to the clearing on the South side." Taeyong said nodding towards a young boy, who looked too innocent to be true. The boy, Renjun, nodded and started walking on a path to the South side of the city. Yuta's heart fell as he had to watch his pack walk away. It was so tempting to chase after them, to be with them again, but the consequences of that action would surely be dire. He simply had to wait and see. Except it wasn't simple at all, not when his instincts were pulling Yuta in another direction. 

After his pack had vanished into the hustle and bustle of the village, Yuta turned to Taeyong with a thousand questions in his eyes, but he said only one thing.

"Don't hurt them, please."

Taeyong's eyes softened from their usual piercing glare as he looked at Yuta.

"I won't. Of course I won't. They saved me."

"Thank you." Yuta was relieved, more so than he had ever been in his life. He just hoped that Taeyong's reassurance would be enough to truly protect his pack. In daze, he allowed Jeno and Jaemin to lead him back to his yurt. When they shoved him in, they were forced to, he felt great panic. Would his pack truly be safe? Would he ever see them again? What if Taeyong had lied to him?

* * *

"Yuta?" Jaemin called from outside. Yuta, who was trying to relax on his bed, thought about not responding. Oh was he tempted to ignore the world! But his guards had always been overly kind to him, and it would have been unnecessarily rude to ignore Jaemin now.

"Yes?" he called back. 

"Um...you have a friend here, to visit."

"They can come in." Yuta tiredly said, to exhausted to care. Suddenly, the smell of Ten flooded the yurt. Yuta jumped up from the bed, and was this a dream, or was Chittaphon actually standing in front of him. Yuta was frozen for a moment, but he quickly ran over to Ten and embraced him, perhaps with too much enthusiasm, because Ten soon struggled with the weight of Yuta, and the lack of air.

"You're here! I thought they wouldn't allow you to see me!" Yuta happily yelled as soon as he stepped back from Ten.

Ten grinned and replied in an equally happy voice. "I know!"

"Come on," Yuta said as he dragged Ten towards a table, "Tell me what happened!"

"Well," Ten began, "After we were, you know, captured, I woke up with the others in a yurt. We were all super confused, even more so when you weren't there, but, of course, by that point we were all pretty much panicking." Yuta laughed, because the way Ten told the story, it seemed to be hilarious, even thought what actually happened was no laughing matter. "And so," he continued, "We were kept in there for a few days. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, they took reasonable care of us, so at least I'm grateful for that." Yuta nodded, understanding, "And then, one day, the Head Alpha came in and said we could leave or stay and be reabsorbed into his pack. We left, even though we couldn't take you, despite our protests." Ten said with a sly grin, and Yuta laughed again, knowing what Ten could be like when he was angry. "Sorry about that, by the way," Ten added, looking guiltily at the floor, "We didn't want to leave, not without you, but it was the better--it was necessary..."

"Oh you guys," Yuta said as he leaned forward to hug Ten again, "I'm just happy you got out of this place. And it hasn't been that bad for me here, really."

"Still...we never should have had to make that choice." Ten said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, you're fine. That's what matters. What happened next?" Yuta prompted Ten, trying to distract him.

"Oh, well, we walked out of here just fine, and went back to the campsite. We told Jaehyun everything, and well, now we're here."

"Why are you here? It's not safe." Yuta said in an accusing voice.

"Bartering, trading, blah, blah, blah. Didn't you hear?" Ten said, suspiciously looking away from Yuta, as he always did when he told half-truths.

"Mhm," Yuta said, not convinced at all, "I believe you. Sure."

Ten just sighed and said "I promise you'll find out. Somehow."

"Excuse me, but uh--your friend is requested to go back to his camp." Jeno said.

"Why do your guards always sound so uncertain?" Ten asked, a smile on his face.

"They're too nice." Yuta said through a sigh, suddenly filled with sadness. His life was so uncertain now, and he never knew when he would ever see Ten again, a sad fact, but true.

Ten sensed this and said, "Hey, don't worry. We'll see each other again." Yuta smiled sadly, wishing he had the other's optimism.

"Sure," Yuta said softly, "See you." he said as Ten stepped out of the yurt. He sighed, and crawled back to the bed, feeling, oddly, more drained of energy than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually updated before 10 PM! So proud of myself.
> 
> Hope you all liked this chapter!
> 
> <3


	5. F I R S T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~!

Yuta waited out the rest of the day in his yurt, or prison, more like. He had, to his credit, tried to escape multiple times, but had been stopped by Jeno or Jaemin, or both at the same time. It was infuriating, the power those young wolves had over him.

Yuta angrily kicked a pillow across the room to see it land with a soft thump on the other side. It didn't really help, as the anger came back a second later, but it did provide an exit-way for his pent up energy, and anger. Yuta sighed, and went to sit on his bed, feeling the guilt of brutally abusing the pillow, and the weight of what had happened today sank down upon his shoulders. Why him? Why did this have to happen to him? He must have been terrible in his past life, it was the only explanation. Yuta leaned back on the bed, seeking release through sleep.

Finally, night had arrived. Night was special to all wolves, and maybe, just maybe, Taeyong would be merciful, and let Yuta see his pack during this sacred time. He let out a long sigh. Hope was, is, dangerous, and Yuta knew that, but what else did he have the luxury of doing? He had no choice. He had to hope, he had to. 

Through a crack in the covered door frame, Yuta could see the moon shining, it was almost a full one. Suddenly, the flap whooshed open to reveal Taeyong. Yuta stumbled back, he hadn't expected Taeyong to visit him again, so soon, and so suddenly. He tensed, it must have something to do with his pack, and Yuta really wasn't in the mood for an interrogation right now.

"What is it?" Yuta asked tiredly, not really caring anymore. Taeyong just lifted his eyebrow in amusement.

"We're having a feast in honor of your pack coming here. I thought you would be happy?"

"Oh," Yuta's shoulder's relaxed temporarily, glad that his pack was still fine, "Why, though?"

"They've helped my pack in many ways." Taeyong responded, an annoyingly ambiguous answer. Yuta chose to accept it, though, knowing how helpful Doyoung could be, or how protective Ten was. "We also enjoy their company.": Taeyong added.

"Come on," Taeyong then said, "It's almost time." Yuta nodded, and followed Taeyong out of the yurt, once again, going towards the village center. Jeno and Jaemin split off from their little group, and headed towards another group of similarly young boys, and Yuta was surprised to see Chen Le included. Looking around, he saw members of both packs socializing as if they were one, and it was an eerie sight at first for Yuta. He wasn't expecting both packs to be getting along so well, the opposite in fact. However, as Yuta reasoned, it was far better than the alternative, and he chose to also accept this as a good omen for things to come. Yuta felt Taeyong glance over.

"It's surprising, I know," Taeyong said when he saw Yuta's slightly confused expression, "But it's good." Yuta nodded in agreement, still bewildered by the fact that his pack was here. "You can sit wherever you'd like," Taeyong said, "I have some things I need to discuss with your Head Alpha." Yuta frowned, concerned by the serious tone in Taeyong's voice, and the lack of details, but he split from Taeyong's side anyways, grateful for the opportunity to spend more time with his pack. He walked, more like ran, over to Ten's table, where Ten was sitting next to an extremely happy looking Johnny.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Yuta joked, "Should I leave?" Ten laughed, and reached up to grab Yuta by the arms. Then he pulled him down to sit next to Ten.

"So you guys finally made it official?" Yuta asked, for that was the only explanation as to why Johnny was so happy, or why Ten was on his lap.

"Yup," Johnny said, "After the _Incident_ , we decided life was too short. Just couldn't wait any longer." he said, whispering as well as he could, which was rather hard for his deep voice.

Yuta laughed and said, "Well I'm glad _something_ good came out of this. Are we calling the _Incident_ now?" Yuta asked, as he looked imploringly at Ten. But before Ten could reply, the reverberating sound of the gong rang out, effectively silencing all conversation. They all looked over to the head table, where Taeyong and Jaehyun were sitting. Taeyong cleared his throat and stood up.

"I'm sure I speak for many when I say this, but we are truly happy to have the Beluae pack with us here today," he paused before wrapping up, "May the stars shine forever in your favor." It was an old blessing, but a true one, and Yuta felt reassured once again. After Taeyong had sat down again, however, as his gaze lingered on the two Alpha's and their intense discussion, the worried feeling returning to his chest. Soon, though, Ten was shoving some fresh rabbit stew in front of Yuta, and Johnny was doing his Fashion Evaluation again on a rather embarrassed looking Taeil. Yuta let those troublesome feeling slip out, he would enjoy himself tonight, while he could.

But it was too soon, cruelly too soon, when the feast ended. Yuta wanted nothing more than to stay in the warm light of the crackling fires, in the company of his family, but there were rules they had to abide by. It was simply the way the world worked. He sighed, giving his packmates one last hug goodbye, and retreated towards his yurt, while he watched the others go the opposite way. To his surprise, Taeyong soon caught up with him along the darkening path.

"I think your home is that way." Yuta said while pointing behind him.

"You really hate me, don't you?" Taeyong sighed.

"No!" Yuta stopped, feeling embarrassed at his sudden objection, "Just...slightly annoyed. Fine, more than slightly." Yuta finished, glaring at Taeyong's smirking face.

"No, it's fine if you do," Taeyong suddenly muttered, looking down at the road, "Anybody would understand." They walked in silence after that, Yuta not knowing how to respond. Finally, he braved the silence again.

"So, what were you and Jaehyun talking about?" Yuta tried to casually ask, but his heart was pounding inside, hoping for the answer he wanted.

Taeyong sighed and glanced up, looking at the brightly lit sky. "Uh--what to do, I guess. From here on." he said through a sigh, after a long pause. Yuta frowned, he didn't like the tone Taeyong spoke in, or what he even said for that matter.

"What do you mean?" Yuta prompted, still hungry for answers.

"Well..." Taeyong hesitantly said, "You're here. And...I know that you don't really want to be. But," he sighed, " I don't really want to let you go." Yuta's heart lurched at those words, he had no idea that Taeyong's feeling's were this strong. "So," Taeyong continued, "We have to work _something_ out," he paused for a long while. "What do you want?" Taeyong finally asked Yuta.

Yuta swallowed nervously, now knowing what to say. "I'm not sure," he finally said, "I think I could be happy both ways. One way is a bit more clear," Yuta admitted, "But spending the rest of my life with you...wouldn't be so bad." Yuta finally said, blushing, and looking away. He glanced at Taeyong, to see the other's reaction. He was met with a face lost in deep thought. It was impossible to gauge the other's reaction, which was infuriating, as usual. It seemed like Taeyong was going to respond, though, when they reached Yuta's yurt. He silently cursed it's convenient location.

"Well...goodnight." Yuta finally said. He waited a moment for Taeyong's response.

Yuta gasped, and jumped back slightly. He could hear Taeyongs footsteps fading away on the gravelly road, but the faint warmth of his kiss on Yuta's cheek remained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else has been binge-watching the "Limitless" teasers all day (and night)? I KNOW I HAVE.


	6. S A M E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short, I've been kinda busy today, and my internet dropped for while ;(

Yuta happily walked through the city streets for the first time in a long time. An electricity pulsed throughout his body, flowing in every vein, sparking every nerve. Life still wasn't perfect, after all, he was still a "prisoner" of the Tavaci pack, but it was better than his life before. Yuta got to see his pack, daily, now, for a few hours (and that was a minimum) everyday. It was easier now, getting up every morning to face the world, not to mention the the newfound freedom his guards gave him (however little it was). However, the was still one, huge, all-encompassing, problem. And it dirtied Yuta's happiness, no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

The problem was that Yuta still had no idea of what was going to happen to him. Everyday, the two Head Alphas, Taeyong and Jaehyun, could be seen talking with each other in the quietest whispers. Their heads were bowed, lowered near each other, and no one dared approach, for breaking the bubble those two had formed would be a crime. It was an unsaid, but true, fact of life, now. And so, all Yuta did was watch for signs of any change, but alas, there was none. Their faces were calculated, concentrated to the point of being blank, almost. There was nothing for Yuta to decipher, except for an occasional frown or smile. And that was why he was walking (mostly) happily down to road, to visit Doyoung, because if anybody knew anything, and would tell Yuta anything, it would be Doyoung. Well, hopefully, it would be Doyoung.

"Hellooo?" Yuta called out, as he walked into Doyoung's shared yurt with Jaehyun. It was dimly lit, as the fire had been reduced to a few glowing embers. Yuta wrinkled his nose, the dusty and strong smell of herbs threatening to make him sneeze. He had forgotten Doyoung's obsession with herbs, but it was natural and expected. Doyoung was the pack's healer, after all. Suddenly, the fire crackled, emitting sparks as it did so. Doyoung had tossed a log onto the firepit, and they both watched as it was consumed by the hungry flames.

"Hey." Doyoung said, rather casually. He then proceeded to silently observe Yuta. Yuta, himself, was slightly alarmed. This behavior was so different that the behavior Yuta had come to expect from Doyoung. Perhaps the other knew of his purpose today? Doyoung had always been especially perceptive. Yuta shifted on his feet, now knowing what to do. It wasn't forbidden to visit other members of his pack, but he hadn't visited Doyoung often, and considering Yuta's current circumstances...it was awkward. He relaxed slightly when Doyoung started speaking again.

"Would you like some?" Doyoung asked, while boiling some water, and crunching different leaves together into a fine powder. Yuta could smell the bitterness from here.

"No thanks." Yuta said, while scrunching up his nose again. It was sure to be healthy, that strange mixture of herbs, but horrible in matters of taste.

"But it's good for your immune system!" Doyoung protested. Yuta laughed, Doyoung was always trying to make others adhere to his healthy lifestyle. He felt bad for Jaehyun, at times, but at least they would probably live twenty more years than the rest of them.

"My immune system is just fine." Yuta objected as he watched Doyoung take a sip. He laughed out loud, very loudly, when he saw the other's wincing face. So even Doyoung couldn't handle his mixtures, sometimes. Doyoung just looked over, and made stuck his tongue out at Yuta. They then settled into a comfortable silence watching the fire, as packmates should. Yuta didn't want to break it, but the question was still at the back of his throat, and it was pressing forward by the second. He opened his mouth to ask when Doyoung cut him off.

"I'm not telling you anything." Doyoung said, a slight smirk on his face when he saw Yuta's open mouth.

"How did you know?" Yuta asked.

Doyoung shrugged and said, "Please, it was obvious. It's the question of the century, Yuta. For you, at least."

"But why~!" Yuta whined, trying to appeal to Doyoung.

"Alright, first of all," Doyoung said through a sigh, "I hardly know anything! Not that I don't know anything, because there are some bits of information I have that you would die to hear," Doyoung teased, "But, the main stuff? I don't have a clue what they talk about all day."

"But Jaehyun tells you everything! You might as well be a second Head Alpha!" Yuta protested.

"I know, but he isn't telling me anything, and it really isn't my place to pry."

"I don't believe you." Yuta said, as he reclined on some cushions, frowning.

"Believe what you want," Doyoung said, glaring at Yuta, "Secondly, it isn't my duty to tell you of what's going on. If _they_ don't want to say anything to you or the people, that's their choice. No special treatment."

Yuta just glared at the other. He finally said "But they're talking about me! At least some of the time, I know it. Don't I get a say?"

"Again, it's their business to do this kind of stuff. We shouldn't interfere." Doyoung gently reminded Yuta.

Yuta just snorted and said, "And your third reason?"

"Don't have one, why, those aren't enough?" Doyoung smirked. His gaze softened as he said in a gentle voice "Don't. Worry. It's going to be fine." Yuta pressed his lips tightly together, wishing that what Doyoung said was going to be true, wishing that he could easily believe the other's promises. And he almost did, in the gentle warmth of the fire, in the company of a friend, but some small part of him still refused to do so.

"Thanks anyways," Yuta finally said, "I should probably go now. Help prepare for the Spring Lunar Festival." he muttered, standing up to leave. Doyoung nodded, and escorted him out of the yurt.

"Sorry." Doyoung said, and Yuta could see the apology in his eyes, all over his face, in fact. Doyoung was just like that. Yuta nodded, and headed back towards his own home, having learnt barely anything.

* * *

Yuta was relaxing on his bed, as he always was nowadays. He shifted a bit, the soft surface suddenly not comfortable as it was a moment ago. It was midday now, and he had nothing better to do. Yuta hated feeling useless, it was one of the worst things a person could be, in his opinion. But he hardly knew what to do as a "prisoner" (nor really, not anymore, but he didn't know what he was now, so that was the next best thing to call himself), and nobody really gave him anything to do. So Yuta's only choice was, apparently, to be useless, even though everybody assured him that he was not. Yuta just waved them off, tired of the lies for "his own good." It was infuriating.

The door-flap was pushed to the side, Yuta could hear the soft rustling of the heavy cloth fabric as it did so. He forced himself to rise up into a sitting--slouching--position. Once he saw Taeyong standing in the doorway, though, his back immediately straightened. It was nice, Yuta secretly admitted to himself, that he saw Taeyong so often nowadays, but he was still so wary of the Alpha. He was the one, after all, that had a very important hand in deciding Yuta's future.

"Hey." Yuta greeted the other, as relaxed as he could, with his heart beating like it was going to hell in his chest.

"Hello," Taeyong responded, "You look bored," he remarked a while later. Yuta just nodded hesitantly, because he didn't want to deny the fact that he was incredibly bored, but he didn't want to insult Taeyong's generosity. The man had spared his life, for goodness sake, in exchange for this boredom. Or at least, that seemed to be the agreement right now.

"Well, we should do something about that, shouldn't we?" Taeyong said, a smile on his face. Yuta just nodded, breathed a sigh of relief, and stood up from the bed.

"Anything would be better than this." Yuta finally said.

"Come with me, then." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHH *FANGIRL SCREAM*
> 
> So yeah, Doyoung was on my mind all night.


	7. E V E R Y T H I N G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wink*

Taeyong took Yuta's hand, gently, and led him out of the yurt into the blinding sun. He shivered at Taeyong's light, but firm, touch. It sent sparks to flood his body, it was a new kind of torture, but Yuta loved it all the same. They walked for a while, in the fresh, slightly cold air, despite the brightly shining sun. Yuta stared curiously at Taeyong's back. He knew the village pretty well by now. Granted, not that well, but well enough, and yet he had no idea where they were heading to. A few turns later, and Yuta was still lost, but he continued to follow the Alpha, somehow trusting Taeyong, despite everything that had happened. 

They finally arrived at an entryway into the surrounding forests, which Yuta hadn't had the time to fully appreciate before. He sighed in contentment now, listing to the birdsong in the sea of green. There were two leather backpacks leaning against an old tree, and Taeyong slung one over his back, while throwing the other to Yuta.

He gave a nervous chuckle and said, "It's heavy. Look's like we'll be on an extended trip?"

Taeyong smiled, "Mhm. I think you'll like where we're going." Yuta stared at the Alpha as he walked into the darker forest, shadows on his back, as the packed leaves blocked out the sunlight. Would he be an idiot to follow? Probably, but Yuta did so anyways, looking back one last time at the brightly lit village.

* * *

Yuta finally knew what beauty looked like as he walked beneath the arches of wood and leaves. The branches twined together, the leaves became that of one tree, and everything was blended into one great picturesque scene. True, the woven wood blocked out most of the sunlight, but it was worth it, for the sight above Yuta was incredible, no matter how much he missed the blue sky. What he didn't appreciate, though, was the uphill climb that was getting steeper by the minute. He paused for a second, to wipe the sweat off his brow. It wasn't an easy climb, but it did relieve the ache in his legs from not being able to run for so long. Nomadic life, it seemed, wasn't so useless, as Yuta still had some endurance inside him to continue walking. Shifting the pack on his back, he resumed the hike.

"Um...Taeyong?" Yuta called out from behind the Alpha a few hours later. Taeyong turned around and paused, looking imploringly at Yuta. "It's getting pretty dark now, shouldn't we stop?" He took a deep breath, trying to get some oxygen into his lungs. It took several deep breaths, actually, they were so high up, and there was so little air to breathe in. Taeyong seemed to consider this for a moment.

"We're almost there, can you walk a little longer?" he said, looking at Yuta. Truthfully, Yuta wanted to do nothing more but sink down on the dusty road, and sleep right there, but if they were almost to this mysterious place...

"Sure," Yuta finally said, "Lead the way." Taeyong nodded, and continued climbing upwards. Yuta turned around one last time, seeing what was now splotches of inky darkness beneath him, but they were actually millions of trees. He could also see tiny pin-points of lights in the very distance, and it must've been the village.

Yuta sighed again, the ache in his legs was a different one now, of great tiredness, but he had agreed to Taeyong's crazy plan, and Yuta wasn't one to go back on his word. He speed-walked a bit, to catch up to Taeyong, and then they settled into a comfortable silence while hiking, only interrupted by an occasional tired pant from Yuta. Taeyong looked over, sympathetically, sometimes, and Yuta seriously wondered how the Alpha was not doing the same as Yuta was. Another piece of evidence proving that Lee Taeyong was not, in fact, from this world.

* * *

"We're here!" Taeyong said from in front of Yuta.

"Oh, thank the stars!" Yuta gasped, dropping the heavy pack, that was only a little lighter now, from the brief dinner they had. He collapsed on to the dirt, resting his head on the pack. Was the dirt always so soft? Could the Earth, potentially, be used as a bed? Yuta questioned his life like this for the first time in forever. God, was he exhausted. _In and out_ , he told himself, breathe _in and out_. He could hear Taeyong chuckle, from the mist of his tired mind, but Yuta smirked slightly in satisfaction instead. Taeyong sounded just as tired as he was, despite any outward signs.

"Come on," Taeyong said, propping a practically dead Yuta on his shoulder, "I lied, we aren't totally there, yet." Yuta groaned, hadn't he suffered enough? Taeyong's punishment, Yuta decided, would be having to drag Yuta the rest of the way there. He let out a tired sigh, and buried his nose into Taeyong's neck, reassured by the warm smell, too tired to care. His feet were dragging behind him, so he just attached them to one of Taeyong's legs. He felt the other slow down considerably, and smirked as he sleepily whispered "Payback." Taeyong just grunted, too loaded with his own tiredness, and the weight of Yuta, to reply, in human words.

"Agh!" Yuta yelled, as he was unceremoniously dumped onto a smooth, but cold, stone floor. He blinked once, then twice, and then he opened his eyes for good. Yuta gasped as he took in the sight before him, too amazed to finish scolding Taeyong. 

They were on a mountain. That, was an undeniable fact. And while Yuta was sure that if he looked down, the view would be as amazing, he preferred to look up.

The stars were out, in all their glory. They shone with tiny rays of hopeful light, but slyly twinkling just the same, as if playing a game of hide and seek. Most were white, but Yuta also spotted a few red and blue stars. But even the stars were overpowered by the silver glow of the moon. It was so large, and it felt so close, that Yuta was tempted to reach out and pluck it from the heavens. Impossible, of course, but at the moment it felt so possible. It felt like a dream. He felt so lucky to be alive right now, so lucky to be able to see a sight like this.

"Beautiful." Yuta whispered, as a tiny sigh almost, just barely escaping his lips. After all, he didn't dare disturb the skies with any noise louder than that. He smiled then, so content was he.

"Ah yes, it is, I suppose. But I'm afraid I can no longer appreciate the view," Taeyong said, almost sadly, but with an amused smile on his face.

Yuta frowned, and said, "But why, how would that--how would that even be possible?"

"It's 'cause you're too beautiful." Taeyong nonchalantly replied. Yuta scoffed a few times, disbelievingly. But then meeting Taeyong's (mostly) serious gaze, he blushed and looked away. His heart, his poor heart, already overworked, was fluttering like hell. He thought it was going to burst, or fly away, Yuta honestly did. It was painful at times, actually, that continually expanding feeling in his chest, that ripped it to shreds, but in the best way possible. It was love. It was undeniably love.

Yuta looked at the ground, not knowing what to say. In the end a rather mischievous idea came into his mind, after all, two could play at this game.

"Oh yeah?" Yuta said, leaning closer to Taeyong, "What's so pretty about me, hm?" he said with a smirk on his face, and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Taeyong took a deep breath, obviously at a lack for words. Yuta felt victorious inside, it was oddly satisfying, making the other behave like this, for once. But he pulled away when Taeyong had composed himself.

"Everything," Taeyong whispered in a broken voice, "Your eyes, your lips, your smile...everything."

He felt Taeyong's hand gently cusp his chin, trailing along his jaw line. Yuta shuddered slightly, he wasn't sure if he could handle these mere touches, which were, by the way, light as a feather. Already, though, he was about to faint from the electricity they shared. He most certainly wasn't prepared for this kiss.

It was on the lips, this time, and it nearly caused Yuta to faint. Their lips were soft against each other's, and it was such a dreadfully short kiss, but while it lasted Yuta's breath stopped. Everything had been sucked out of his lungs, his heart was going to beat right out of him, and he almost couldn't bear the fire between them. It was an indescribable feeling, something that Yuta thought he would never experience. Alas, Taeyong pulled away from the feathery kiss too soon, leaving Yuta more out of breath than ever. From that _one_ kiss. He stared wide-eyed at Taeyong, wondering how the Alpha managed to do that do him. How Taeyong could change Yuta, so completely, so soon, and so deeply. 

"Everything."   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHMYGOD YUTA OHMYGOD HOW DARE YOU WRECK MY HEART YOU BEAUTIFUL MAN.
> 
>  
> 
> Sleep will elude me again, today. But if it's Yuta, I don't really mind.


	8. U N K N O W N

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't update yesterday (New Years), and I'm sorry this chapter is so bad (headache), but enjoy anyways!

Yuta sleepily rose from the furs he had rested on the night before. He stretched, because as fuzzy and comfortable the furs were, they couldn't completely hide the discomfort of sleeping on stone. Still, Yuta felt pleasantly relaxed and refreshed from his night's sleep. After letting out a lengthy yawn to release even more tension, he looked over at Taeyong. A gentle smile formed on his face as he looked at the sleeping Alpha. Taeyong looked so peaceful in his sleep, his features slack, but perfectly so. His lips twitched a bit, and Yuta wondered if he should wake Taeyong up, but in the end he decided not to. It would have practically been a crime to force the Alpha out of his state of rest. It was better to let Taeyong be, he finally decided. Instead, Yuta decided to step out of the temporary tent he and Taeyong had decided to make the night before.

Yuta thought the night sky was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, that is, until he saw the rising sun. It blazed with a purpose, the sun. It was brilliantly colored today, as pure red illuminated the world, instead of the usual pastel yellow. Yuta stared in wonder, not just at the dominating sun, but also at the deep blue sky, that perfectly blended into the yellow ochre sky, that gently surrounded the ruby sun. It was like a perfect painting, just for Yuta. It took his heart, and it stole his breath away. But, it was rather lonely, seeing this by himself. Yuta quickly entered the tent, and ran over to Taeyong's sleeping spot.

"Wake up!" Yuta urgently whispered, shaking Taeyong as gently as he could, but failing, as he was too excited. Taeyong just turned away from Yuta, grumbling and murmuring nonsense. "Come on~!" Yuta whined, "Wake up!"

"No..too...early....n..no" Taeyong muttered sleepily, his voice slurring.

"Please?" Yuta said, while drawing out the -e. He leaned closer to Taeyong, hoping that his presence would affect the Alpha. "For me?" he whispered, his lips tickling Taeyong's ear. Yuta cautiously placed a hand on Taeyong's shoulder, waiting for a reaction. He sighed when there was none. How hard would it be to wake up Taeyong? Yuta pulled back, trying to think of something. He sighed again, it seemed like this would be the only way.

"Hyah!" Yuta yelled, as he leapt onto the sleeping Taeyong. He landed squarely on top of Taeyong, and then using his momentum, he pushed the other onto his tummy. Sitting triumphantly on Taeyong's back, Yuta said "Are you awake now?" while laughing lightly. Taeyong lifted his head up, gasping for air. When he had caught his breath, he finally said "Brat," and then after a short pause, "Yes. I'm awake now." Yuta laughed fully, he had won this battle, and it felt good.

"Come on!" Yuta repeated, grabbing Taeyong's hand, "You need to see this." He pulled up an heavy Taeyong, and pulled him towards the outside. They exited into the bright light of the rising sun. Yuta sighed as he looked at the sky again. It wasn't as brilliant a sight now, the yellow was starting to overpower everything, but Yuta suspected it would've brought him to his knees in tears any day. He looked back at Taeyong, to see how the other was doing. Yuta was met with another pair of eyes looking back at him. They were hungry, almost, and he shivered under their glare. But, eventually, he smiled at Taeyong.

"You're missing the view." Yuta softly said.

"Hardly." Taeyong replied. Yuta just sighed, it was impossible to reason with Taeyong when he was like this. Instead, Yuta just stepped closer to Taeyong, and leaned on the other, his head resting comfortably on Taeyong's shoulder. Taeyong's hand sneaked around protectively to rest on Yuta's waist, the weight reminding Yuta of everything they were now. He felt Taeyong's lips brush his head. 

This moment was perfect. Yuta felt bliss and pure happiness for the first time in forever, perhaps for the first time in his life. Everything had changed last night, when Taeyong had kissed him, but Yuta wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

He loved the forests, and their calm, grand, and regal beauty, Yuta truly did. However, he started to miss the open blue sky midday down to trail back to sea level. He missed being able to look up, and being able to see an endless sky. He missed the sunlight, not that there wasn't any under the leaves, but it wasn't as much. It was colder, too, in the thick forest. And that was probably why he was running down the path. 

It was easier going downhill, of course it was, and Yuta was immensely glad for it. He breathed a sigh of relief once he stumbled out of the forest. He was glad to put those murky trees behind him. Yuta looked up, it was a cloudy day. It was a shame, for he desperately needed the blue sky above him, but it would do. He took a deep breath, as it was easier to breath out here as well. The fresh air filled his lungs, and made his feel new again. Yuta turned around, searching for Taeyong.

"We're back." he said with a smile, when he finally caught Taeyong walking down the path at a leisurely pace. Taeyong returned Yuta's comment with an uneasy smile. Yuta frowned, why was he worried now? It was so different than the Taeyong he had seen this morning, while they were happily eating breakfast. Then again, Yuta himself was feeling incredibly nervous. How would the others react when they found out about his new relationship with Taeyong? And how were he and Taeyong just supposed to carry on, surrounded by their packs? Yuta swallowed nervously as these new thoughts popped into his mind.

Taeyong must have sensed his hesitation, because he quickly said "Don't worry, everything'll be fine. I promise." Yuta gave a jerky nod, slightly reassured by Taeyong's words, but not really.

"Alright, let's go back, then." Yuta replied, a little shakily. Taeyong nodded and he let the Alpha lead, trusting Taeyong completely, now. They walked in a suffocating silence, as they were both too nervous to talk. Yuta focused his eyes on the ground, and it took up all of his energy to keep on walking. There was no room for conversation, not even small talk.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Yuta asked Taeyong. They weren't far from the city now, one more turn and they would arrive at the entrance. Taeyong grabbed his hand, and rubbed the back of it, lost in thought.

"Of course I am. Are you?" Taeyong finally replied. Yuta nodded, his heartbeat quickening. He was preparing himself during their walk here, the entire walk, but now, the moment before they would have to face the others, all that preparation fell away. Yuta was just as nervous as before, maybe more. Still, they had to do this, there was no other option. Yuta squeezed Taeyong's hand, for the comfort, and they turned the corner together.

At first, they managed to proceed through the village normally. Nobody paid any attention to them, not in the bustling streets. Yuta's heart nearly jumped out of his chest, though, when they passed Taeil, but the elder didn't seem to notice them, and Yuta let out a sigh of relief when they passed him. It was short lived, though, when he heard a sharp voice behind him.

"Hey!" Doyoung shouted. Yuta stopped, not sure if he should respond, or stay still, and blend in. Taeyong, who had continued to walk, turned around, a questioning look on his face. Yuta leapt into the air when he felt Doyoung's hand on his shoulder.

"Hey." Yuta weakly said, as he turned around to face Doyoung, whose eyes were flickering between Yuta and Taeyong. "I um--didn't see you there."

"No..." Doyoung slowly replied, "I should imagine not."

"Whoops. Sorry." Yuta weakly chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Where have you two been?" Doyoung's voice suddenly rang out with an authority that only Doyoung could muster. "You've been gone all morning. I've been worried sick, and so has Jaehyun."

"Don't worry about it. We're here, and we're fine." Taeyong stepped in.

"I had to! I had to worry! He's still a member of my pack, you know, and then he goes missing! I--." Doyoung stopped, lips tightly pressed together. "You should go to Jaehyun. He's probably a few seconds from organizing a search party." he said to Taeyong. Yuta tensed, looking at Doyoung and Taeyong. They were glaring at each other, angrily so, and Yuta was about to step in when Taeyong finally turned around, and headed into the crowded streets. Yuta wistfully watched Taeyong's back disappear, and then he turned to face Doyoung again, who was looking incredibly scary.

"Um..." Yuta said as he nervously shifted from foot to foot. They remained like that for a few moments, Yuta intently looking at the ground, and Doyoung glaring at Yuta. Suddenly, Doyoung grabbed Yuta's wrist, and pulled him inside the nearby yurt, Doyoung's workplace, as Yuta now recognized.

"What were you thinking?!" Doyoung finally said, once they were inside. "Just going off with Taeyong? It's not safe!" he hissed.

"I was fine, Taeyong's a good man!" Yuta protested, "And look, I'm still alive!"

"There's a lot you don't know about Taeyong," Doyoung muttered, a dark expression on his face. He sighed, the fight seemingly leaving his body. "Just, try not to do something like that again, alright?" he said, gently. Yuta huffed, and looked away. He wasn't going to forgive Doyoung just like that.

"I'm sorry," Doyoung whispered, drawing him into a warm hug, "You know I'm just worried about you, right?"

Yuta's resolved crumbled, because he couldn't be mad at Doyoung, not really. "I know," Yuta softly replied, "I know." They stayed like that for a long time, Yuta tiredly trying to recover. But he couldn't ignore Doyoung's ambiguous warning, because no matter what the hopeful part of Yuta's mind told him, he really did'nt know who Lee Taeyong was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Win Win is WinWining!


	9. S E C R E T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha when you last updated in 2016...oops.
> 
> I wrote this in the early early morning so sorry for any mistakes!

Yuta nervously gnawed his fingernails as he waited outside Taeyong's yurt. Pacing did him no good, and yet he continued to do so. He needed answers, or Yuta would never rest. He would never be able to live happily with the question _"Who are you, Taeyong?"_  As much as Yuta tried to ignore those doubts, and just love Taeyong simply, he craved those answers. And he would get his answers.

Jisung pushed the flap open, and gave Yuta a nod. He walked in, with a smile on his face. No need to arouse suspicion so early. Yuta plopped himself down by the cushions and he leaned into the alpha's warm aura. He breathed in deeply, and inhaled the comforting scent. Surely...surely nothing could go wrong. Taeyong was a good alpha, and he understood things. If Yuta had any suspicions, he would clear them up. Yuta trusted Taeyong completely.

"Hey," Yuta murmured sleepily, "Whatcha doing?"

Taeyong chuckled softly while signing various scrolls, and looking over them. It looked important, but Yuta couldn't make sense of the Tavaci language, it's odd twists and turns. "Nothing, just paperwork. It's pretty boring," Taeyong admitted.

"Should you be saying stuff like that?" Yuta laughed. They sat in silence for a moment, a comfortable silence. Yuta thought he could've stayed like that for forever, in the warmth of Taeyong, but then anxiety and his purpose gripped Yuta's mind again. He needed to know.

"Taeyong," Yuta said while sitting up, getting off of Taeyong's shoulder, "I um...I have a question. Or, I should say, questions. Because there are a lot of them."

"Oh, okay," Taeyong said, putting down his brush, "What do you want ask me? It is about you staying here with me? Because we can work out somethi-"

"No! No, it's fine. That's fine," Yuta hurriedly said, "Well, it's related. Sort of. I just wanted to ask..."

"Yes?"

"I've been hearing things, and I don't believe them of course, because I love you, but there's been rumors....Just who are you Taeyong?" Yuta finally blurted out.

"What do you mean," Taeyong asked, a confused look on his face, "I thought you knew me."

"Well, I thought so too. But then I go and hear all these rumors-and I don't know what to believe! I want to believe that I know all of you, so I can love all of you, but it doesn't seem like it. Are you keeping something from me?"

Taeyong narrowed his eyes, and chewed on his lips. He had a deep frown upon his face, and deep creases in his forehead. Yuta stared back incredulously.

"Taeyong?" he hesitantly asked, "You aren't hiding anything from me....right?" Yuta watched as Taeyong looked away, avoiding eye contact. "Taeyong!" Yuta snapped, "What's going on? Say something damn it!"

Yuta gasped as he felt Taeyong's gaze fiercely flick back to him. His eyes were that of a predators, and Yuta was the prey. Taeyong was ready to pounce.

"I'm...a complicated man. I've made a lot of hard decisions in my life. I've had to-please understand Yuta," Taeyong said, grabbing Yuta's hand as he stood up to leave.

"Then give me a direct answer, _Taeyong_ ," Yuta growled, "What have you done."

"Dangerous...things. I've made deals with less than moral people to rise to the top-but only so that I could make things better from a place of power. And I'll admit it to you. I've killed. But only for a righteous cause. Things in my pack were less than reasonable before, and now they're thriving. You've seen them for yourself."

Yuta tried to focus, he tried to take deep breaths. The world was spinning around him, and he felt sick to the core. Surely his Taeyong wasn't a murderer?

"I-I don't think I should stay here," Yuta said, as he stood up to leave on shaky legs.

"Wait-" Taeyong said, panic entering his eyes, "Please let me explain it more. I'm not perfect but-"

"No, Taeyong, let me clarify. I can't stay here anymore. Did you not trust me or something? I mean, my own alpha has killed, it's a dangerous world. It's not like I couldn't have fucking handled it!" Yuta spat out.

"Can we please just sit down and talk? Please?"

"If you tell me everything."

Taeyong was silent for a moment. "I would love to, but there's unsavory things that have happened in my past. Would it even help for you to know?"

Yuta stood there for a second, and then he scoffed, "Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. But I shouldn't have expected anything less. I can't get a direct answer out of anybody like you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short length! Hope you enjoyed :)


	10. L E A V E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha a brief respite from another two (probs more) month break!

Yuta sighed as he relaxed in Ten's yurt. After his argument with Taeyong, his feet had automatically found it's way to Ten. Anxiously, Yuta silently watched as Ten busied himself by boiling some water for tea.

"So," Yuta cleared his throat, "What should I do? I mean-what can I even do?" He watched as Ten settled himself unto the floor, nervously biting his lip.

"Honestly, Yuta, is it really that bad? It's not like our own pack hasn't done-er,  _things,_ so that we could protect each other," Ten shrugged, "It's part of survival."

"But that's not what bothers me!" Yuta snapped, "I _understand_ , the gods know I do. I just don't understand why he was keeping it quiet. Why I had to hear of what Taeyong might've done from someone else, and not him. I just thought...I don't know. It's stupid but I thought that maybe," Yuta's voice cracked. He didn't understand the emotions that were rushing through him right now. It was unlike anything that he had experienced before.

"What did you think?" Ten gently prompted.

"I thought he might've been the one, you know?" Yuta said, his voice barely above a whisper, "When I was with Taeyong, I felt safe, happy. And you know, for me, that's a big deal. To able to trust somebody instantly like that. But I just thought that we would be able to open up to each other as well, and get to know each other. Then I realized...I didn't really know anything about Taeyong."

They sat there in silence after Yuta was finished speaking. After all, there was nothing left to say. Even if Yuta was to go back to Taeyong, and he desperately wanted to deep inside, there would always be too much between them. Their argument had made Yuta realize that. Suddenly, the flap to the yurt burst open, and Johnny rushed in.

"Oh thank god, you're here. We need to leave, quickly!" Johnny managed to say, through heavy breaths.

Yuta stood up, and frowned. "What do you mean? I'm not really allowed to leave, remember? Taeyong wouldn't let me."

"Fuck Taeyong!" Johnny shouted, "That bastard is the reason why we're leaving. He just can't compromise. Jaehyun's done. We're done."

"And how am I supposed to leave?" Yuta said bitterly, "What do you expect me to hide like a dirty runaway?" Johnny said nothing, and started to hastily pack, as if they were simply migrating again.

"What about my pride?" Yuta yelled, not really caring anymore, " _I will not sink to such depths_. I don't care how long I have to be held prisoner, as long as I can act with _dignity_."

Johnny stopped for a moment, paused, and set down the bag he was holding in his hands. He looked at Ten, just a quick glance, but a spark of electricity was passed between them. Yuta swallowed down his bitterness.

"What's going?" Yuta hesitantly asked, "Why won't anybody tell me what's going on?"

Ten hesitated for a moment, the said "Listen, there's more to you, and us, than we've been allowed to tell you. You're-ah-special. In a very powerful way, which is why we need you with our pack no matter what. I can't say anything more, but please, if you care about the pack, if you care about _me,_ then please come with us."

"You can't tell me anything? Jaehyun has forbidden it?"

Ten nodded, "Please, dear friend. Trust in us."

Yuta let out a heavy sigh. "You're lucky that I do. But, I expect an explanation later. If not then," he shrugged, "I'll just come back here. So tell Jaehyun to get ready to tell me _everything_."


	11. T R U T H

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA it's been more than a month but here's another update! please, enjoy!

The fire crackled, singing it's lonely song while Jaehyun, Ten, and Yuta sat in silence. They had arrived at the new camp, safely, but the cracks in Yuta's heart had only grown larger. It was strange and abnormal, he knew, to be missing Taeyong. Taeyong, a man he had know for only a little while, yet had completely taken over Yuta's heart. But he couldn't help it, the feeling of despair that had settled firmly into his very being. However, there was nothing to do to cure his depression. After all, Yuta had chosen to go with his pack, rather than protest and remain with Taeyong. If anything, these feelings were his fault, and he had to deal with them. Besides, it was about time that Yuta got the answers he needed from Jaehyun.

 

"So..." Jaehyun nervously cleared his throat, "Where to begin?" He gave an awkward chuckle.

 

Yuta frowned, he could feel the creases form on his forehead, "How about the beginning?" he snapped, then sighed. "I'm sorry, you know I don't mean to talk like that. I'm just so fed up with being traded back and forth like some kind of prize, you know? I just want to know why my life has taken such a strange turn."

 

"That's fair!" Ten hurriedly said, "And we're finally prepared to lay it all on the table. No matter what happens after. But you have to promise to keep an open mind, okay? And...to not freak out."

 

"Yeah, of course I will," Yuta said, "But...why would I freak out?" He watched as Jaehyun and Ten shared a tentative glance. Finally, Jaehyun spoke again.

 

"Have you ever heard of the legend of Caducus and the gods?" Jaehyun asked.

 

"Of course," Yuta replied, "My mother told the story to me often when I was little. But it's just a story based off of some ancient hero. A mortal hero."

 

Jaehyun sighed, "Thing is, it's not just a story. Turns out that our legends are more factual than we believe them to be."

 

Yuta couldn't help but laugh. How was some archaic story related to him? How could they believe such a thing at all?

 

"I know you guys wanted me to keep an open mind, but this is ridiculous!" Yuta said, "I came back for answers, not for _this_. I left Taeyong for gods sake."

 

"Just-please Yuta. Think about the end of the legend, just do it. You said you would take us seriously." Ten begged.

 

"And," Jaehyun quickly added, "Think about why our pack is so secluded, even for a nomad pack."

 

The end of the legend was a prophecy, supposedly passed through the generations. It was so sacred, that not a word had been changed. But, it was also just a prophecy, like all the others that had survived the passage of time. Only the most traditional packs held any credence in it.

 

"Born offspring of Lady Moon, the Chosen One will arrive upon our world..." Yuta began to recite, "And reborn again of Lady Snow. He who holds life in his hands will rule over all of wolfkind. But he that choses the path of death will destroy us all. Watch for the lily of both black and white."

 

"That's it." Jaehyun nodded.

 

"You...don't think I'm the second incarnation of Caducus, do you?" Yuta scoffed, "Me. The little Omega. I'm not anybody."

 

"Caducus was an Omega too, but most people forget because he became so Alpha-like. He was still brave and valiant, and he tried so hard to escape the prophecy. That's why Lady Moon made him an Immortal Sprit, a servant of the gods. But, he wasn't able to escape the prophecy. We fear that you are the second incarnation of Caducus, and that you will not be able to thwart the prophecy as well." Jaehyun said.

 

"It's also why we've kept you hidden for so long," Ten chimed in, "There've been signs that you are the Chosen One, and if the wrong people found out...they wouldn't have been as kind as we have. Until you found Taeyong, that is. And as much as I hate to admit it, that guy is a genius. I think he figured it out as well."

 

"Well, what signs could there have been? I don't suppose Lady Snow skipped down from the Sky Palace to tell you? Not to mention that I did have a mother. Who gave birth to me on solid ground."

 

Jaehyun and Ten exchanged another glance, before Jaehyun spoke again. "I hate to tell you this...but the old Head Alpha assigned your mother to...be your earthly mother. She had lost some pups two winters before, and it was perfect. As for signs, how about the fact you were found in a cradle made out of snow...but unexpectedly fine. You're never really cold, not like the rest of us. How about the fact that the pack has thrived since you've arrived, while other packs stronger than us have succumbed to tough winters, and pack wars? You can dismiss these signs as much as you like, but I refuse to. It's my job to consider this, Yuta."

 

"But I'm not special!" Yuta protested, "I've had a normal life up until now. If I was the second incarnation then that wouldn't be the case."

 

"And that's why we've always been moving, and so separate from other packs," Jaehyun said, "To keep you safe and secret, even though the obvious benefit is settling down and forming a town of ours. Do you think I haven't realized that?"

 

"We interact with other packs plenty!" Yuta yelled, "That's ridiculous. And we stick to the old way, for a better pack."

 

"Not really,"  Ten said, quietly fiddling with his thumbs, "Compared to other pakcs we barely interact, unless it's out of necessity or to maintain a relatively normal appearance. Truth is, we're not normal. We have you."

 

Yuta swallowed, and then leaned back. He didn't want to believe his packmates, but there was some part of him that was already swayed. He had, after all, always been treated differently. He was handled ever so fragilely, as if everybody was either scared or in awe of him. His mistakes, however large or small, had always been tolerated. He had free reign of when he went in or out of camp. 

 

"So...I guess...apparently I could be this," Yuta said, "What now?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah so i just dropped that on you guys. sorry? thanks for sticking around <3


	12. P E R S O N A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! so basically, school has been hectic, but i've been given a godsend in that i had this weekend to write. so, i did. 
> 
> basically, the plot thickens, and much happens. i hope you like this chapter?

He needed to run, he needed to. Even though Yuta knew there were dangers out there specially for him, he had to leave the stuffy atmosphere of camp. Everything was too much. He couldn't breathe, couldn't walk without feeling eyes on his back. They had been there all his life, of course, but now they were a heavy burden. Yuta couldn't take it anymore, so he ran.

The night was cold, but his fur was thick. He could feel the warm flowing blood throughout his veins, but his heart was still empty. He wondered what Taeyong would do in his position.

Hours later, Yuta finally returned to camp. The full moon was close, but not quite there. The camp was glowing in the silver light regardless, as he softly padded through. He had almost reached his yurt, when a large crash could be heard from the camp gates. He rushed, shifting back into human form, into his yurt to throw on the clothes he left out, and ran back outside and towards the entrance like the rest of the pack. Then, he saw it, shining silver fur.

The tall towering poles that usually indicated a camp's gates, had fallen to the ground instead in a cloud of dust. Even so, Yuta could see him as clear as day. Taeyong. As pale as a sprit under the moon, and as real as one, he almost seemed to radiate some kind of otherworldly power. But surely, this was some kind of dream? Why would Taeyong show up here, late into the night? Moreover, he was alone without any reinforcements, and therefore extremely vulnerable as a Head Alpha. The Taeyong Yuta knew wouldn't have risked this for his pack. Then again, he didn't really know Taeyong at all.

He watched as members of his own pack slowly surround Taeyong. They formed a circle around him, shrinking it by the second. Taeyong growled, snarled, and frothed at the mouth in anger, like a rabid wolf. Meanwhile, Yuta's pack members were slow, composed. It was almost painful for Yuta, seeing the man he cared for in some way, trapped like this. Every bit of him, every little cell, was aching to charge forward to Taeyong. The pain of separation only made the feeling stronger. How was Yuta supposed to stand to the side, a mere witness, and nothing more? 

Pushing his way forward, Yuta made his way to Taeyong. His pack members let him through without a word. Softly, quietly, he knelt in front of Taeyong. Tentatively reaching out a hand, he stroked the muzzle softly. He leaned into the familiar warmth.

"What are you doing here. Idiot." Yuta whispered softly into Taeyong's ear. Taeyong only whined a bit, and threw his body weight into Yuta's.

"Idiot," Yuta softly repeated, "You didn't even bring any of your annoying little henchmen, did you? Gods, I can't believe I fell in love with somebody like you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuta saw his pack mates moving to the side again. Jaehyun had arrived, a sleepy Doyoung following behind. His hair was mussed, but his eyes were narrowed and alert as he gazed at Taeyong. Yuta moved a bit closer and in front of Taeyong, out of instinct. They were still, in silence, for what seemed to be an eternity. Yuta clutched Taeyong's neck, already refusing to be separated. He didn't know what would happen, but Yuta wouldn't let go of Taeyong, now that he was back in his arms. Finally, Jaehyun sighed, and beckoned with his finger for Yuta and Taeyong to follow him. Yuta sighed in relief, nothing too bad was happening. Yet. They were lead to his yurt, near the center of camp. Yuta tried to not look backwards, as he felt the rest of the pack follow them curiously. 

Once they were inside, Jaehyun tossed some clothes towards Taeyong, then jerked his head towards a changing room. And so, Jaehyun, Yuta, and Doyoung were left alone for a while. Yuta could only look at the floor. Whether it was in shame, fear, or worry he didn't know, but he couldn't bring himself to look into his Head Alpha's eyes. Doyoung too, he found impossible to look at. There was nothing to do but anxiously wait for Taeyong to finish dressing, and rejoin their odd little group.

Jaehyun sighed deeply, twiddling his fingers together with his hand clasped together. Taeyong had emerged, and they sat in silence until Jaehyun broke it.

"Obviously," he began, "I can't just let this go. I can't just let you leave, Taeyong."

"I-" Taeyong said, before he was interrupted.

"No. Taeyong, listen to me," Jaehyun continued, "I assume you're here because, gods forbid, you have some sort of attachment to Yuta. I don't know if it's love, lust for power, or something in between, but we all know the truth now. I know that you know the truth about Yuta, because even if you did love him, you wouldn't be risking it all here just for him. Unless you really are an idiot. So there're two questions I need you answer. No, there are two questions you _have_ to answer for me. The first being, how did you figure out the truth about Yuta? And, why were you really out there the night Yuta found you wounded? Because I let you go that night without any questions, but that's a decision I'm beginning to regret."

"Jaehyun, is this really necessary?" Yuta said, "He's.....Taeyong isn't who we all thought he is but you're treating him like he's some kind of demon! But really, he's just Taeyong...living and perfect but flawed at the same time. Why are you treating him like this?"

"For all you know, Yuta, he is a demon. For all you know, he's an incarnation of a god himself, because we don't know anything about Taeyong. To keep you safe, to keep everybody safe, I'll do what needs to be done!" Jaehyun said, his voice rising.

Taeyong sighed, "Just let me explain Yuta. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's just delaying the inevitable. Truth will out, after all...." he took a deep breath again, then resumed speaking, "My pack wasn't always settled, civilized, whatever you wanted to call it. Just two generations back, we were still nomads like you. And the myths and gods of the old, or nomad, religion still dictated the behavior of our pack. When I was born, the new religion of the civilized gods were what we worshipped, but my mother loved to tell the tales of the ancient deities. And so, in time, I learned of Caducus, rebirth, and the prophecy. In my youth I developed an obsession with the thought that maybe Caducus would be reborn in our time. After all, it isn't so peaceful nowadays with nomads and settlers waging territory wars against each other. So, I kept my ears, eyes, and mind open to the thought. When I met Yuta, it took awhile, but everything clicked together. He has so many traits that Caducus had, I couldn't help but wonder, and eventually put it all together."

Doyoung interjected, "So you just expect us to believe that you just put it all together? Just like that? I mean you're a clever one, but nobody recognizes the rebirth of a half-god just like that. I don't care how fascinated you are with the old tales, as you call them. You're a Head Alpha, not one who keeps our history intact. It's not your job to pass down those stories, myths, or anything else."

"I understand your suspicion," Taeyong said, "Believe me, I don't think I would've figured it out. But when I took Yuta up onto that mountain, when we saw that sunset together....something clicked. I don't even have the words for such a strange phenomenon, but it's true."

"Let him go," Jaehyun said, "Let him go Doyoung. The exact "how" of how Taeyong figured out Yuta's identity may be unknown forever, but I can know why he was out there that night. That's more important to me right now."

"Has anybody considered that maybe it was just the goddess Apotelesma who brought us together that night. Maybe it was more than fate, but the influence of the stars themselves. I don't know exactly what you're implying, Jaehyun, but I don't like it at all." Yuta said.

"I'm sorry," Jaehyun replied, "But there's too much to at stake to speculate here. You're right, it may have been the doing of Apotelesma or the Adfari who control the fate of all wolfkind, but I'm a mere mortal who has to figure this out now. Taeyong, you're an wild variable I can't have running around with someone like Yuta. I don't know your motives, and I don't know why you were injured and alone that night. But I have to know, now."

"Has nobody considered what I feel about this situation?!" Yuta scoffed, "I mean this is my life, and my destiny probably for eternity if I truly am the return, and son to both Lady Moon and Snow. Maybe I don't know very much about Taeyong at all, and I was acting rashly, but that doesn't mean you can drag him in here and endlessly question him!"

"Fine," Jaehyun said, "I'll just cut right to the chase, then. I may be interrogating Taeyong because he poses a threat to my pack, of which you are a part of. But there's more to this than you think. I believe that Taeyong plays a part in your prophecy. I think it is the lily the prophecy speaks of. I think I need to determine if he is a threat or not to all of wolfkind. And you understand that if he Taeyong is a threat, then I will have to get rid of him in whatever way possible. So, I'd recommend that everybody lets Taeyong finish the rest of his pretty little story."   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, no hate on jae though. he's got burdens man.
> 
> thanks for reading <3


	13. L O S T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao me taking forever then walking back into your lives, the guilt lives my friends
> 
> but still, please enjoy!!

Yuta watched as Taeyong bit his lip nervously. He tapped his foot once on the floor, then once again. Taeyong did not speak, and he barely moved, except to tap his foot.

"Are you okay, Taeyong?" Yuta asked. He watched as Taeyong swallowed nervously. 

"You all ask me about that night, but I don't even have a good answer for you...It's all such a blur, I barely remember anything. Just Yuta's face when he found me."

"There!" Yuta exclaimed, "You see? This interrogation is useless!"

Jaehyun suddenly turned towards Yuta. "Well, tell me this, Yuta. Why are you intent on ending this? Knowing who Taeyong really is might benefit you too. My theory is that you don't really want to know who Taeyong is, do you?"

"Fine. I will admit that. Maybe I don't want to know exactly who or what Taeyong is. Maybe I just want to live in peace, in this relative peace where I can love him simply and freely without anything in our way. I know it's selfish that I want these secrets to remain what they are, but those secrets could ruin this bit of happiness I've found. How can you just ask me to give up that?" Yuta said.

"You've only know him for the tiniest amount of time, Yuta!" Doyoung exclaimed, "But you're trying to defend this very possible threat to our society. This irrational attachment is dangerous for everybody, not just the people in this room."

Yuta stood up, his fists clenched into balls. "I'll take happiness whenever I can get it. And I know that I was happy that one morning with Taeyong." He glanced over at Taeyong longingly, and smiled a little bit. "There's something so familiar about him, something so close to home. I'm addicted, I don't want to let it go."

Jaehyun leaned back into his cushions with a sigh. "Looks like we wont be getting anything out of them tonight, Doyoung," he paused for a moment, then continued, "I'll set something up for you, Taeyong, where you can stay for the night, but don't expect to have much freedom."

Taeyong nodded, then said, "Fine, I get that. Is there any way I can send a message to my pack? I left Jisung in charge, but he can't do it forever."

"Sure, I'll send a messenger to your yurt later," Jaehyun said, "Meanwhile, I think we should all get some rest." He stared at Yuta, who backed down quickly, hating the fact that he did so. "Yuta, Doyoung will send you back to Chittaphon. Try to relax." Jaehyun said.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Yuta said as he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. Doyoung steered him quietly towards the exit of the yurt. Jaehyun and Taeyong remained quietly behind, whispering together. Yuta wanted to look back and say or do anything, anything at all. But he knew that this was dangerous, considering the position they all were in. Yuta knew Jaehyun and Doyoung had good intentions, but he had other plans, and any body movement that suggested anything but complacency would be dangerous. After all, he didn't really know what Jaehyun could do, or who Jaehyun was either. The world was a stranger to him now. It changed within a matter of days, and there was no choice for Yuta but to adapt. 

Right before the entrance of Yuta's yurt, Doyoung stopped, and turned Yuta so that they were facing each other. In the bright moonlight, Yuta could see every inch of Doyoung's worried face in detail. The wrinkles, the frown, the shifting eyes. 

"Yuta," he began slowly, "Don't be too mad or worried, okay? Jae's just trying to the best he can, for you and everybody else. We're all shouldering a lot right now. The prophecy, your destiny, don't let it worry you right now, okay? It's going to be fine. I don't care what some god says, we're by your side no matter what. Your fate is your own."

Yuta smiled softly, the corners of his mouth perked up. 

"I know, Doyoung," he said, "I'll be fine, and I'll have Ten right by my side. We can talk tomorrow." He nodded slightly to Doyoung, as a way of saying goodbye. He hoped that his shaking hands wouldn't give himself away. Doyoung walked away, the sound of his light footsteps slowly fading.

Yuta let out the deep breath he had been holding all the time. He loved Doyoung, he truly did, but Yuta also knew that Doyoung was loyal to Jaehyun only. He had to watch himself around these new strangers, who were, at the same time, his old friends.

Yuta turned around to look at the yurt. He saw the silhouette of Ten inside. Years of traveling together, living together like brothers, had given Yuta enough experience to instinctively recognize how worried Ten was. Yet, he couldn't step inside the yurt, not yet anyways. In just one night Yuta had lost his faith in his world and everything that was in it. Still, that was no excuse for shying away from the world. If the prophecy was true, and if he truly was the Chosen One, then Yuta had greater troubles than facing his brother.

"Hey," Yuta said, stepping into the familiar warmth. Chittaphon whipped his head up from the pillow on which he was resting. Yuta allowed himself to smile a little at this endearing movement. 

"You're...you're back!" Ten yelled, rushing up to embrace Yuta. He relaxed into Ten's arms, giving himself into comfort, even if it was just for a moment. 

"I missed you too," Yuta said with a chuckle, "It's nice to see that you feel the same way."

"Of course," Ten said, his voice muffled by Yuta's shoulder, "I was so scared...I didn't know what was going all that time you were talking with Jae..."

Yuta frowned slightly, his heart heavy with the new truth he carried within.

"Don't worry about it," he said, "It'll be okay. But, Ten, I'll need your help. I'm asking for this favor as your brother, not as your friend, or pack mate, even. Especially not as your pack mate-do you understand?"

"I-I...." Ten stammered, "Are you asking me to defy our Head Alpha? You haven't even told me what you need!"

Yuta smiled again, but softly, and sadly.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he whispered, "I never thought the day would come. But then again, nothing is the same."

Ten took a step back from Yuta. He frowned, the wrinkles creased all over his forehead. Yuta could tell that he was thinking deeply. Ten crossed his arms, absorbed in thought. Finally, he let his arms go, almost in defeat.

"Fine," he said, "I'll help. Gods save me, but I'll help you. I love you Yuta, and you'll always be able to trust me. This I swear."

Yuta relaxed, the tension flowing out of him as smoothly as running water. He could feel the tears burning behind his eyes.

"Th-thank you," Yuta said, "I love you too."

Ten smiled before pulling himself into a stiffer stance.

"Now," he said, "Who do you need?"

"Get me to Taeyong."  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> muah <3


End file.
